Immigrant rescued by agents in Arizona desert (AP c/o KSWT-AZ)

Immigrant rescued by agents in Arizona desert

Associated Press - November 9, 2008 10:54 AM ET

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - An illegal immigrant attempting to cross into the United States broke her leg and was rescued by Border Patrol agents using all-terrain vehicles.

The woman was rescued Friday from a mountainous area northwest of Douglas, officials said.

Esmeralda Marroquin, spokeswoman for the U.S. Border Patrol's Tucson Sector, says the 39-year-old woman from Hidalgo, Mexico, was walking alone in the desert after being abandoned by her smuggler when she fell and fractured her leg.

Agents responded to a 911 call she placed with her personal cell phone and deployed ATV units due to the rugged terrain.

Marroquin says the woman was carried away on a backboard and transported to a local hospital for treatment.