Three people died and two others were taken into custody by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol after the group attempted to illegally cross into the United States in a rugged area and gotten lost south of San Diego County's Mount Laguna, the agency said.
Border Patrol agents were contacted at 2:15 pm on Monday and alerted to five people who needed medical assistance near the La Posta Indian Reservation, known to be a "very rural and extremely rugged" area in the Laguna Mountains, San Diego Sector Border Patrol said in a statement. The area is located about 15 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border.
When agents arrived on scene, they discovered two people who'd been able to walk out on their own, and told the agents there were three others who needed help, with two of them in grave condition, the CBP said. The remaining three people were located at around 5 p.m. But, due to severe weather in the area, agents were unable to reach them in time and just after 10 pm, agents confirmed the three other rescue subjects had died.
"Unfortunately, rescue efforts for 3 of the 5 people were unsuccessful. The three remaining people on the mountain have died. Due to severe weather, recovery of the bodies must wait until tomorrow. Agents & @CALFIRESANDIEGO have cleared the scene for now," Chief Patrol Agent Aaron M. Heitke wrote on Twitter.
At the time of the rescue, between 4 and 5 inches of snow had fallen on Mount Laguna with "poor visibility" on Monday, the National Weather Service reported.
The group called 911 after some of their members began suffering from hypothermia, Heitke said.
Photo: Getty Images