Rescue crews rushed to the Rio Grande levee Friday afternoon after a 1 p.m. call reported a person in the canal near Levee 20 in El Paso. Police, U.S. Border Patrol agents, and emergency responders lined the banks as teams worked to reach someone in the fast-moving water. Details were still sparse as rescuers focused on the operation.
What Officials Are Saying
According to KFOX14/CBS4, the El Paso Police Department said it was assisting U.S. Border Patrol in the rescue at Rio Grande Levee #20. The outlet reports the call came in at about 1 p.m., and crews were still actively working the scene as of the latest update. Police described the situation as developing and did not immediately release more information.
Why The Canals Can Be Deadly
Seasonal releases into the canal and the Rio Grande can turn what looks like a calm waterway into a powerful, unpredictable current, emergency officials warn. As reported by KVIA, the El Paso Fire Department's Water Rescue Team has been training for the summer season and urging residents to stay clear of canal banks and levee roads. KVIA noted the team recently responded to a recovery in a canal by Socorro Road, a reminder that managed flows can be just as dangerous as storm-driven surges.
Recent Recoveries Near The River
As reported by Hoodline, workers discovered a body at the Rio Bosque levee earlier this month, and crews recovered another person near the Ysleta‑Zaragoza crossing. That coverage linked the recent cluster of recoveries to seasonal water deliveries that can raise levels and create hazardous conditions along canals and levees. Safety groups and emergency officials have continued to press the message: stay away from canal banks and levee roads.
What Officials Advise
Anyone who sees a person in distress in or near the water is urged to call 9-1-1 immediately and avoid entering fast-moving channels to attempt a rescue. The El Paso Police Department lists 9-1-1 as the emergency number, and local news reporting has reiterated that fences and barricades along canal banks are there to keep people out of harm's way. Rescue teams warn that even stretches that look calm can hide undercut banks, sinkholes, and submerged debris that make self-rescue extremely dangerous.
The situation remains developing, and authorities have not released further details. Additional updates are expected as agencies provide more information.
