Woman dies attempting to climb border wall in Arizona after being trapped upside down
A woman died attempting to climb a border fence after she got stuck while descending the wall on Monday about 11 p.m.
The Cochise County Sheriff's Office responded to a call from Mexican authorities about a woman who was hanging upside down near International Road and Kings Highway.
The unidentified woman climbed to the top of the fence and tried to descend using a harness, according to a news release from the Sheriff's Office. Her foot or leg got caught in ropes during the descent, causing her to hang upside down for "a significant amount of time," the news release said.
She was taken to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead, the news release said.
The exact cause of death has not been determined, but the Pima County Medical Examiner's Office is doing an autopsy. The Sheriff's Office is further investigating the incident.
The Mexican Consulate was later notified of the situation, the news release said.
"These types of incidents are not political, they are humanitarian realities that someone has lost a loved one in a senseless tragedy," Sheriff Mark Dannels said. "We have to do better in finding solutions to the challenges facing our border, and we have to do it for the right reasons."
Reach breaking news intern Jane Florance at jflorance@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @Florance_Jane.
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Woman dies attempting to climb down border wall in Arizona
