Del Rio, Texas – Del Rio Sector Border Patrol agents rescued a Central American man Sunday afternoon after finding him in distress in the middle of the Rio Grande River.

Agents assigned to the Eagle Pass North Station were patrolling the Rio Grande near downtown around 3:50 p.m. Sunday when they saw a man’s head bobbing in the water. As the man drifted under the Camino Real International Bridge, he grabbed onto a support pillar. Agents were able to make contact with the man who indicated that he was unable to make it back to the Mexican side of the river due to the swift current. Agents deployed a rescue rope from their service vehicle and were able to pull the man to safety.

The subject, a 27-year-old Salvadoran man, declined medical attention. He will be processed for return to El Salvador.

“We continue to warn of the dangers of crossing the border illegally,” said Chief Patrol Agent Rodolfo Karisch, Del Rio Sector. “In this instance our agents were able to pull the man to safety. Others aren’t always so fortunate.”

During Fiscal Year 2012, Del Rio Sector agents performed a total of seven rescues. In FY13, Del Rio Sector has performed six rescues involving eight individuals.

Del Rio Border Patrol Sector is an integral part of the South Texas Campaign, which leverages federal, state and local resources to combat transnational criminal organizations.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.