Border Patrol assists in Glacier County rescue

U.S. Border Patrol agents Wednesday helped Glacier County sheriff’s deputies locate and rescue three juveniles who went missing on a float trip.

Border Patrol agents from Shelby located the three and helped them reach the deputies and emergency medical services personnel who were leading the search.

“Integrated efforts such as this, between the Border Patrol and the Glacier County Sheriff’s Department, are an example of how working together with our partners helps to keep our communities, and residents, safe,” said Havre Sector Chief Patrol Agent Christopher Richards. “By communicating closely with the Glacier County deputies, we were able to work together and locate the missing juveniles and return them to their families safely.”

Border Patrol cooperating and collaborating with local law enforcement, both to secure the U.S.-Canadian border and to provide local law enforcement and emergency services, was a main topic of discussion at the field hearing of the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee which U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., chairs.

Tester, joined by U.S. Rep. Steve Daines, R-Mont., a member of the House Homeland Security committee, convened the field hearing in Havre last Friday.

Wednesday’s rescue started after the three juveniles began floating down Cut Bank Creek just west of Cut Bank about 5 p.m. Tuesday. They were expected to arrive at their destination in a few hours.

After the floaters did not arrive, and Glacier County officials called the Shelby Border Patrol Station at 1:30 a.m. and asked for assistance. About 3 a.m., agents using a thermal imaging camera located the three on the creek and helped them reach the Glacier County searchers.

All three were determined to be in good health and were returned to their parents, the press release said.