Matamoros mayor and assistants rescue a drowning teen

Matamoros mayor, Erick Silva, and his assistants saved a teenager who was drowning at a city drainage ditch Wednesday afternoon, according to a city press release.

Juan Garza, 17, had fallen into the Papantla drainage ditch near Mexicali Street, while trying to cross it thinking its was just a flooded area, the release stated.

The rescue took place when Silva led a group of city officials on a survey of the around Matamoros' flood prone areas.

When the group neared the ditch, Silva spotted a pair of hands sticking out of the water, the release stated.

The ditch has an approximate depth of 10-feet regularly but because of Hurricane Alex, the water level had climbed even more, the release stated.

Silva ran to the area where he saw the hands and called for Emergency Medical Services, while two of his assistants, Raymundo Lozano and Fernando Pinzon, dove into the ditch only to come out a few seconds later with the teen in tow, the release stated.

Silva and Homero De La Garza, from the housing authority department, provided first aid to the teen until an ambulance arrived to provide medical assistance, the release stated. Garza didn't sustain any injuries during his ordeal.