Yuma, AZ-Deaths along the stretch of Arizona's border with Mexico has dropped.
According to Southern Arizona county medical examiners, in the fiscal year that ended September 30th, 182 people died trying to cross the border along the stretch from New Mexico to Yuma County.
The Arizona desert is a deadly crossing for those trying to pursue the American dream.
Border deaths along the Arizona border have dropped to an 8 year low, including in Yuma county.
"For the fiscal year 2010, we were at three and prior to that we were at zero," Agent Robert Lowry, spokesman for the U.S. Border Patrol Yuma sector said. "We did have a high mark of 11 deaths in the year 2007 but like the numbers have been steadily decreasing."
Lowry said the drop of deaths can be attributed to having more agents out in the field.
He said more agents are patrolling in more rugged terrain and placing rescue beacons strategically placed in the desert for emergencies.
"I think the Arizona desert has always been very difficult to traverse and we try to get the message out that its not safe," Lowry said. "It's a lot of time and a lot of distance to cover in extreme weather and temperatures."
But the yearly totals may not reflect the number of people who died that year because many are found weeks or maybe months later.
Lowry says the most recent body was discovered last week in the Gila Mountains by a hiker.
"By the time we find them, they're heavily decomposed," Lowry said. "Sometimes animals had already been to thru the remains, they're not pretty sights."
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