Coast Guard rescues 8 children from sinking raft in Rio Grande near McAllen [Video]

MCALLEN, Texas – The U.S. Coast Guard said it rescued eight children on the Rio Grande near McAllen on Tuesday.

The Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team Houston patrolled the area around 8:30 p.m. when it encountered the group of people trying to cross the river.

The team found a raft with one adult potential smuggler and eight migrant children with ages ranging from 6 to 13 years old, according to the Coast Guard.

The potential smuggler jumped overboard and deflated the raft before swimming back to Mexico when they saw the Coast Guard.

All eight children were rescued by the crew from the sinking …