A 9-year-old boy who got lost and was separated from his family as they toured a wildlife center in Hidalgo County was found by Border Patrol agents over the weekend, according to a news release published Monday.
The family visited the Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge in Alamo on Friday, but he was somehow separated and got lost after sunset.
Border Patrol agents from the Rio Grande Valley were called by the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office to assist, while U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s air and marine operations also deployed a helicopter to search the area.
“While searching the area, agents were alerted to a technology activation within the refuge and responded to the area,” the news release read. “Agents located the boy in good health and was immediately reunited with his family.”
This was not the first time someone has gotten lost in the park. Last year, two hikers were also rescued in the same refuge during the peak of the summer heat.
One of the hikers was able to activate a rescue beacon, placed for lost migrants under the Missing Migrant Program, to call 9-1-1 for a friend who had become exhausted and dehydrated.
“With dramatic temperature changes, individuals lost or left behind in desolate areas are at risk of dehydration, heat stroke, and death. RGV urges individuals to take proper precautions when outside,” the release stated.
