Mother separated from kids clings to branch as she struggles in Rio Grande, agents say

A Nicaraguan woman became separated from her three children and stranded in the Rio Grande while attempting to cross into the U.S., Customs and Border Protection said in a news release.

At around 11:15 a.m. on Feb. 16, a group of about 20 migrants attempted to enter the U.S. by wading across the Rio Grande, the release said. After doing so, three children in the group informed border agents from the Eagle Pass South Station that their mother was stuck in the river.

Agents found the woman in the water, unable to swim to shore. She was holding onto cane brush to keep from being swept away in the current, and told agents that her legs had gone numb in the water, the release said.

Agents were able to pull the woman to safety, the release said. She was reunited with her children and did not ask for medical assistance.

This story was originally published February 18, 2022 at 12:34 PM with the headline "Mother separated from kids clings to branch as she struggles in Rio Grande, agents say."