San Diego

Woman Crossed into US, Fell From Cliff on Otay Mountain: CBP

A Honduran woman crossed the border from Mexico into the U.S. through a remote area southeast of San Diego and fell from a cliff into a steep canyon, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said Wednesday.

The woman, identified by federal officials as 25 years old, was airlifted by CBP Air and Marine Operations just after 10 a.m. and taken to Brown Field Airport. From there, Mercy Air flew her to a local hospital. 

Federal officials learned about the woman's fall from a man who was apprehended at approximately 5:30 a.m. in the Otay Mesa Mountain range.

Otay Mountain is located approximately 17 miles east of the San Ysidro Port of Entry where undocumented immigrants are known to seek asylum.

The man told officials the woman had fallen off of a rock and into a steep canyon hours earlier. He said he had climbed down to her location and found her to be conscious but in bad condition, officials said. 

The agency reported the search via Twitter, saying "#AirandmarineOperations assets are assisting. 

AMO crews worked from the air and guided Border Search Trauma and Rescue Team (BORSTAR) crews to the woman's location on the ground. 

No other information was available.

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