Falls off US-Mexico border wall in San Diego injure 11 in one day, 10 are hospitalized

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Eleven people were hurt after falling from a border wall in San Diego, the latest injuries after the barrier was heightened to deter illegal crossings, according to news report.

Ten people were hospitalized with “minor to moderate” injuries after falling off the barrier on Saturday, San Diego Fire Battalion Chief Matt Nilsen told The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Several were with children under the age of 11, according to Chris Van Gorder, president of Scripps Health. Scripps Mercy Hospital placed the parents in private rooms while child care was provided.

The falls came days after a man believed to be in his late 20s died trying to get around the border wall. In 2019, the Trump administration began replacing the barriers with a 30-foot (9.1-meter) wall.

Joseph Ciacci, a neurosurgeon at UC San Diego Health, previously said he’s seen a fivefold increase in trauma cases since the height increased.

While UC San Diego Health treated fewer than 60 patients who had fallen from border walls in 2019, the total had jumped to nearly 450 two years later.

Last year, 29 Mexican nationals died in 2023 while trying to cross into the San Diego region, according to Mexican consulate in San Diego. Another 120 were hurt.