Posted on 08/16/2007 6:42:55 PM PDT by 11th_VA
Lightning struck an illegal border crosser Monday night about 10 miles north of the border in the Altar Valley southwest of Tucson.
The 38-year-old man was transported to University Medical Center and survived, said Richard DeWitt, Border Patrol Tucson Sector spokesman.
A Border Patrol agent encountered the group at about 10:30 p.m. Monday near milepost 10 on Arizona 286, he said. The group members said the lightning struck the man at about 8:30 p.m. and that, due to the wet ground, three others were shocked as well, DeWitt said. Members of the group said they carried the 38-year-old man to the road. He was conscious but unable to move, DeWitt said. The agent called for an emergency helicopter but stormy weather prevented it from responding.
The man was taken by ambulance to University Medical Center. The three other people who were injured were taken to Saint Mary’s Hospital, he said. Lightning strikes are unusual but have happened before, DeWitt said. He could remember at least two agents who had been struck near Nogales.
Also on Monday in the Altar Valley, Border Patrol agents rescued 12 Mexican illegal border crossers who were lost and had called 911. The Pima County Sheriff’s office received the call at about 7 p.m. and calculated where the call was made by looking up the location of the cell phone tower that had been used. They notified BORSTAR agents, the agency’s search, trauma, and rescue unit, who responded and found the group at about 8:15 p.m., DeWitt said.
None of the 12 people required medical assistance. They had called 911 because they were lost and scared by the stormy weather, DeWitt said.
Sounds like he’ll live and hopefully not try again.
guess you could say he got a zzzzZZZZZOT! from above.
What about all the U.S. citizens and legal immigrants who have ever been struck by lightning? What did they get?
Monsoon season in Southern Arizona....
This is a family safe forum so I can’t type the words in.
Oh geeeezzz! Man, do they have our number. And just where did the BP take them? Back to the border or just right on in to the US?
We'll pay for his medical treatment and I have a feeling that it won't stop there.
>>We’ll pay for his medical treatment and I have a feeling that it won’t stop there.<<
We even provide medical care for convicted child rapists who try to kill themselves so medical care for someone who crosses the border illegally and gets stuck by lightning should be a no brainer.
Well, let me be the first to offer prayers for the injured, as prayers were offered for William Jefferson Clinton when he had his heart operation.
Would not surprise me to find that he had applied for disability and he was approved.
Yup. We don’t want them dead, just south of the border unless they’re here legally.
That was uncalled for and just gives O’Reilly, Kos, and DU fodder for their accusations against FR.
I agree with you. Anyone who is in our country illegally should be given a free trip back to his/her nation of origin. We should also throw out LA RAZA, MALDEF AND THE UNAMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION IN THE PROCESS.
The Pima County Sheriff’s office is going to be needing a much larger budget next year. I hope the local taxpayers don’t object.
They get a bill for the $14,000 Lifeflight to the ER.
He may be an illegal alien, but he’s still a human being.
They call 911 all the time when crossings go bad. They know the USBP will rescue them, feed them, and let them rest up prior to crossing again tomorrow.
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