A man and a woman who were trying to enter the United States illegally were rescued by police off San Diego’s South Bay after they were abandoned in the open ocean, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials.
Officers first spotted a jet ski crossing from Mexico into the U.S. near the Imperial Beach Pier around 11 p.m. Wednesday.
Soon, Harbor Police learned that the jet ski’s operator had abandoned two passengers about one and a half miles from shore in order to flee back to Mexico, according to the CBP.
Officers sailed out to the location of the drop and found a 28-year-old man and 25-year-old woman in the water.
As they took them to shore, officers noticed the couple was showing signs of hypothermia, so they were taken to a nearby medical facility for evaluation and treatment.
Around 2 a.m. the next morning, the man and woman were released from the hospital and questioned. CBP officials said they both admitted to being Mexican nationals who had come to the U.S. illegally.
The two were taken to a Border Patrol station for processing.
