EAGLE PASS, Texas — A migrant couple and their baby nearly drowned trying to cross the Rio Grande river into Texas early Monday, The Post has learned.
The mother and baby were rescued shortly before 7 a.m. by the Texas National Guard after being almost “swept away” as they attempted to cross the “swift water” in the hotly disputed border area, a National Guard source said.
The infant was in a critical condition and had to be “stabilized” at the scene in the wake of the near-tragedy, another source added.
A photo obtained by The Post shows the infant wrapped in a silver hypothermia blanket, being rushed by a trooper across Shelby Park to an ambulance to get care.
The conditions of the baby’s parents weren’t immediately known.
It wasn’t immediately clear if the father had to be pulled from the water or if he was able to scramble to safety on his own.
Just hours later, another child and three adults were also rescued after they, too, got swept up in the strong current, sources said.
Members of the Texas Department of Public Safety were able to pull them into a boat and bring them ashore, the sources added.
The migrant baby was pulled from the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass, Texas first thing Monday.
Both federal and state authorities remained tight-lipped over what happened to the second group of migrants once they were taken from the park.
A source told The Post the Texas DPS initially had the group, who said they were a family, in their custody.
When contacted about the matter, a DPS spokesperson referred The Post to Customs and Border Protection, the federal agency in charge of border crossers. A spokesperson for the CBP then redirected inquiries back to DPS, who did not respond to further questions.
The ordeal unfolded close to Shelby Park, where Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered state troops to erect fences, barriers and razor wire on the banks of the Rio Grande in a bid to deter migrants from illegally crossing the border.
The near-drowning comes just two weeks after another migrant woman and her two children drowned trying to cross the same stretch of river.
In that incident, Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) was quick to claim Texas officials had blocked federal officers from helping.
A second migrant family also had to be rescued Monday and are pictured above being brought back by boat to Shelby Park. James Keivom
Another child was pulled from the river later on Monday and also received medical attention. James KeivomHowever, the Texas National Guard claimed that account was “wholly inaccurate” and pointed out the drownings occurred and Mexican officials had recovered the bodies by the time Customs and Border Protection officers asked for access to Shelby Park.
Meanwhile, tensions continue to grow between federal officials and local authorities after Homeland Security demanded the state end its takeover of the city park and clear out last week.
State authorities ordered to relinquish control of the 50-acre park by Friday 1 p.m. but the entrance to the park was still guarded as of first thing Monday and state troops and law enforcement officers still present.
A migrant couple and their baby nearly drowned trying to cross the Rio Grande river into Texas early Monday. James KeivomAbbott, a Republican, has repeatedly blamed the Biden Administration for allowing a deluge of illegal immigrants to flood Texas border towns.
Despite Biden claiming last year to get tough on illegal border crossings, figures released by Border Patrol on Friday showed agents had encountered a record 302,034 migrants along the south-west border last month.
In addition, under 500,000 people were deported in the eight months between May and the end of the year — less than one in five of the total number of migrants encountered at the Southwest Border in 2023.
