UPDATE: Man who fell off Mt. Cristo Rey was one of four people running from Border Patrol
A spokesman for the U.S. Border Patrol said four people were seen illegally entering the U.S. in the area near Mt. Cristo Rey Saturday morning. The spokesman said one of the subjects was apprehended, and in an attempt to evade arrest, the three subjects tried to leave back to Mexico.
One of the subjects who was reportedly trying to run, fell several feet down the side of the mountain. Sunland Park firefighters who responded to the scene told ABC-7 the man fell 50 feet.
Sunland Park Police and Fire Department personnel along with U.S. Border Patrol agents and New Mexico State police officers then worked to rescue the man from the mountain. The man was rescued then taken to University Medical Center.
The spokesman for the U.S. Border Patrol said the man is currently reported to be in stable condition.
Saturday’s incident didn’t stop hikers from enjoying the view.
“I don’t feel unsafe or anything,” one hiker said.
According to Spokesman for the Mount Cristo Rey Restoration Committee Ruben Escandon, the man jumped over a 3 foot wall at the top of the mountain, known as the crown, before falling.
Six months ago, police say several hikers on Mount Cristo Rey were robbed, and assaulted with air rifles by Mexican nationals.
But Escandon told ABC-7 he believes what happened Saturcay was an isolated incident, and that it won’t stop the committee from holding pilgrimages in the future.