CBP officers rescue boaters thrown overboard

BROWNSVILLE — U.S. customs officers saved two boaters who appeared to have been thrown overboard into the Brownsville Ship Channel on Tuesday.

The men were not wearing life jackets and did not seem to know how to swim, according to a news release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The CBP marine agents spotted the two men struggling to stay afloat near a 15-foot fishing boat that seemed to have no one aboard.

The boat circled near the men and came "dangerously close" to them, the release states.

One of the men was hit in the head by the boat's aluminum hull and the other man's left ankle was cut by its propeller.

Agents maneuvered the boat and tossed a lifeline to the men, who were eventually pulled to safety.

The men and their boat were taken to the U.S. Coast Guard facility at South Padre Island, where emergency medical technicians provided first aid.

The boaters were then taken to Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville.

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Ana Ley covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4428.