Chief Patrol Agent Sean L. McGoffin of the Yuma Sector Border Patrol recently commemorated an agent who tragically drowned two decades ago while attempting to rescue migrants. The memory of the agent's service, according to McGoffin, will be forever etched in the annals of the agency.
McGoffin stated, "Twenty years ago today, Yuma Sector suffered the loss of Border Patrol Agent James P. Epling. BPA Epling was attempting to rescue and apprehend migrants along the Colorado River when he drowned. He is gone but will never be forgotten."
A news release from Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) detailed that on the evening of Dec. 16, near Andrade, California, Border Patrol Agent James P. Epling disappeared after responding to sensor activity along the Colorado River. Prior to his disappearance, Epling had arrested two Chinese illegal immigrants and saved a third from drowning in the river. Despite this heroic act, he continued his efforts to rescue other immigrants.
Tragically, three days later and 29 feet deep in the Colorado River, Epling's body was discovered despite extensive rescue efforts by Border Patrol Search, Trauma and Rescue teams as well as numerous municipal, state and federal law enforcement agencies. An underwater camera played a crucial role in locating his body approximately 200 yards from where it was believed he originally vanished.
The news release further noted that Epling's death was ruled as an accidental drowning. At just 24 years old at the time of his death, Epling was a graduate of the 537th session of the Border Patrol Academy.
The Officer Down Memorial page website provided additional context about Epling's final moments. It revealed that Epling was running downstream trying to arrest a Mexican national accused of smuggling Chinese immigrants when he went underwater. The Mexican national was subsequently charged with 12 counts related to the incident, including smuggling of illegal aliens resulting in death and transporting illegal aliens for profit.
