EAGLE PASS, Texas – Four people, including one infant, died while crossing the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass this month, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
DPS spokesperson Lt. Chris Olivarez said their bodies were recovered within 48 hours.
Olivarez said the first incident happened on Saturday. The U.S. Border Patrol requested assistance for a possible drowning involving an infant.
The DPS Tactical Marine Unit and Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission responded and found multiple people floating on the river.
A woman and an infant were found unresponsive and taken to the Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center, where they were pronounced dead.
Two other people survived and were transferred to the U.S. Border Patrol.
On Sunday, a man’s body was recovered from the river, and on Monday, a woman’s body was recovered.
“The identities of the deceased remain unknown since none possessed identifying documents,” Olivarez said in a Tweet on Monday.
Last month, Gov. Greg Abbott announced a plan to place buoys along the river in an effort to deter migrants from swimming across.
The buoys are 4 feet high, and the chain will span 1,000 feet in areas known to have high traffic. Abbott said the first place the chain will be installed is Eagle Pass.
The floating barrier is expected to launch this month.
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