Just after 11: 00 a.m. on Saturday, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from an individual who said he was in the desert east of Gila Bend, south of Interstate 8 and needed help. This call was being translated through a Spanish interpreter and the initial information came across to sheriff’s deputies was that there were 2 groups of people in the desert with a total number of 20. The caller stated they had been walking through the desert for 15 days and were drinking urine to stay alive.
Sheriff’s deputies quickly responded to the area of the GPS coordinates obtained by the cell phone used of the caller and located three adult males. In an effort to locate the additional people in the desert quickly due to record heat, Sheriff’s Office resources such as Search and Rescue, sheriff’s helicopter and additional deputies were deployed to the area. In addition Bureau of Land Management and US Border Patrol also responded to the search. Once sheriff’s deputies located the 3 males they were given medical attention and questioned about the group of 20 individuals and thier location by US Border Patrol. One of the males was very uncooperative; however the other two related information that there were only two more individuals out in the desert. Sheriff’s helicopter was able to locate the other two males after they started a fire in the desert south of the interstate 10 miles south of I-8 off of mile post 124.
All subjects were airlifted out of the area after medical attention was given. The initial report of 15 more individuals was a translation error; however the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office main concern at the time was locating these people and rendering medical attention as needed. Sheriff’s Office resources remained on scene circulating the area to ensure there were no more individuals still in the desert who needed medical attention.
All subjects were turned over to the US Border Patrol.