Trained water rescue teams highlight the dangers of untrained rescue attempts

El Paso, Texas -- With the recent drowning death of Spc. Bishop Evans, trained water rescue specialists, discuss the dangers of an untrained rescue attempt.

"It's human nature, it's human nature, we want to help someone in need or in trouble, but if you don't have the proper training and you don't go through the proper safety procedures, you might put your life at risk, and instead of one rescue it could become two," said Border Patrol Agent Orlando Marrero, an EMT with experience in canal rescues.

Border Search and Rescue Teams go through a five-week training course where they prepare to handle the rigorous force of the canal. They learn techniques needed to rescue and how to use the rescue gear and how to identify water hazards.

"Water produces force and power, and it's relentless and doesn't matter what gets in their way, water is going to go through," said Marrero.

The Border Search and Rescue team works closely with El Paso Fire's Swift Water Rescue team.

“The water goes down and can pull you down into that headgate, and that's when you start to drown," said captain Kris Menendez the water rescue team coordinator for El Paso fire.

Mendez says the canal water can be deceiving.

“So the canals are meant to move water, and they vary in depth again depending on water flow normally they're about 5 to 6 feet in the center and so the water in the middle is moving much faster than the water on the edges," said Menendez.

Menendez says every month, the swift water team trains in the canals. 

“We simulate people drowning in the water we simulate the same actions we would encounter in a real situation where they're trying to grab us, and you know try to stay afloat not realizing that they’re drowning us, so that training gives us the opportunity to work our tactics," said Menedez.

He says they use the 'Reach Row Throw and Go' technique.

“If we can reach them with a pole or something of that nature, then we go to the throw, we have throw bags that we throw to them so we can grab them and we bring them in, and then from there we go to the go part where we use live bate and we jump in.”

Mendez says an untrained water rescue attempt is risky.

“It's a high-risk low frequency where you know you don’t want to risk a lot if you can’t save a lot and so always try to keep that in mind and so go with the simple steps get 911 coming we're everywhere," said Menendez.