Rescue crews responded to an area near Otay Mesa Friday where three people attempting to illegally enter the U.S. needed to be removed from a drainage tube under the U.S.-Mexico border, according to U.S. Border Patrol.
Cal Fire San Diego said their crews responded to an area called Tin Can Canyon, east of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry, for a call that came in around 7:50 a.m. When they arrived, they found three individuals inside the tube surrounded by piles of razor wire, Cal Fire Captain Mike Cornette said.
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WATCH HEREThe razor wire, which traveled under a portion of the border fence between the two countries, was blocking access into the pipe, Cornette said. Firefighters began to use tools to cut through the wire and reach the individuals.
They then exited the tube on their own without injuries, USBP spokesperson Michael Scappechio said.
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SIGN UP USBP said the individuals were not stuck, but rather refused to exit the tubes on their own.
"Out of an abundance of caution, agents requested assistance from the San Diego Fire Department, which assessed the situation and determined medical assistance was not required," Scappechio said in a written statement.
The individuals -- whose ages, genders and countries of origin were not disclosed -- were taken into custody and transported to a Border Patrol station to be processed for removal, according to USBP.
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Cornette warned others not to try to cross in confined spaces because there is a concern for hazardous gases and chemicals.
"We recommend not to go into those tubes or confined spaces without proper monitoring equipment [like Cal Fire uses] because it could be potentially dangerous if there's a concentration of gases in there," he said.
San Diego Fire-Rescue and Chula Vista Fire also aided in the incident.
