A Guatemalan man seen signaling for help on a snowcapped mountain west of Tucson was rescued by authorities Wednesday afternoon, officials say.
The 38-year-old man entered the U.S. illegally and became stranded on a mountain peak near Three Points. He called 911 to dispatch Border Patrol to the area.
Border agents aboard a National Guard Helicopter located the man in distress among newly fallen snow within the mountain range near State Route 86, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection news release said.
A Pima County Sheriff's Department helicopter equipped to handle a short-haul rescue was dispatched to save the man.
He was airlifted to a nearby road before being taken to a hospital for further treatment of his minor injuries.
The man will be processed for immigration violations once released from the hospital, the news release said.
Contact Star reporter Shaq Davis at 573-4218 or sdavis@tucson.com
On Twitter: @ShaqDavis1