Multiple emergency agencies and United States Border Patrol Agents rescued a group of nine men who were crossing the Canadian border into Minnesota after finding them "in distress" due to cold weather.
U.S. Border Patrol said in a news release that their agents responded to a report of a group of individuals in distress near Warroad, Minnesota at around 4:50 a.m. on Tuesday. The report was made by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who had received an emergency call from one of the nine individuals.
The group was found in a flooded bog. The water temperature was below freezing, requiring agents to wear protective suits to remove the men from the area. According to the National Weather Service, air temperatures were in the high 20s at that time.
All nine were transported to regional medical facilities, the U.S. Border Patrol said. One person was medically airlifted.
"This is an excellent example of our agents and local partners working together to prevent tragedy," said Chief Patrol Agent Scott D. Garrett in the news release. "The outcome could have been much worse if not for the quick notification from RCMP and the response of our agents."
According to the news release, agents determined that the group of nine ranged in age from 19 to 46. None of them had proper immigration documents to enter the United States legally, authorities said, and all were later determined to be illegally present in the country.
Seven were citizens of Mexico. The citizens were processed and transferred from medical facilities to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The other two men are still receiving medical care, U.S. Border Patrol said. Because of their medical condition, agents "have been unable to ascertain their nationality."
Last year, the bodies of four people, including a baby and a teenager, were found in Canada near the U.S. border in what authorities believe was a failed crossing attempt during a freezing blizzard.
