Fire chief confirms recovery of three bodies from Rio Grande

Multiple bodies have been recovered from the Rio Grande on the New Mexico-Texas border. The Sunland Park Fire Department responded to a water rescue request from the Border Patrol on Tuesday evening, June 25. A total of five people were in the water, according to Sunland Park Fire Chief Ramiro Rios. “They pulled one out alive and the other four we actually saw floating face down in the river,” Rios said. “So that’s when we started recovering the bodies.” Stay Up to Date: The Latest Headlines from KOAT Action 7 NewsRios contacted the El Paso Fire Department to assist with the recovery near the state line. Her department was able to recover three of the four bodies remaining in the river. Sunland Park rescue crews had to use bolt cutters to cut wire to get to the Texas side. “One of the problems we’re running into is that Texas has put barbed wire all along the Rio Grande, all the way up to the Annapurna Bridge or where Pizarro McNutt meets right at the state line,” Rios said. “That’s hampered our efforts to get into the water.” Rios said the Sunland Park Fire Department has recovered a total of 18 bodies in the desert since March. He attributed those responses to heat stroke. Responding to people falling off the U.S.-Mexico border wall is normal for the Sunland Park Fire Department and is a nearly daily occurrence. Rios also said the level of water rescue efforts on the Rio Grande is unusual for Sunland Park. “This is highly unusual for us, the river normally flows pretty calm here,” Rios said. “Obviously there are some undercurrents and that will push you along, but I’m not quite sure why it’s moving faster this year, but we’re definitely experiencing something we don’t normally experience.” Temperatures reached 156 degrees during the recovery of the body in the desert, according to a response on Tuesday, June 25.Action 7 News On The Go: Download our app for free