The Furious Spinner

These reports are from the Humane Borders trip sheets various volunteers fill out when they refill the barrels at the water stations. They are reports from a variety of water runs, at various stops. I put them in date order. I also put some punctuation in when I felt it was needed for sense. To me, these entries have a simple lovely narrative. You'll see place names; they're mostly the names of the water stations. Don't concern yourself that you don't know where they are. BP is Border Patrol, so is la migra. Humane Borders is a humanitarian organization whose volunteers take water into the desert to keep people from dying there.


3/16/05
Met two migrants north of BA North station. Tried to call BP. Put on hold and flagged down passing truck.

4/02/05
South of mile post 32 we encountered a migrant walking south named Jorge. Jorge was from Mexico City, crossed the border alone and fell during the night. He had injured both of his legs. He requested that we call the Border Patrol to take him back to Mexico. We gave him water, food, and hygienic products and waited for the Border Patrol to pick him up.

4/30/05
One man walking north on 286, carrying gallon of water. We pulled up to ask if he needed help—at the same time BP drove up facing north and talked with him.

5/5/05
Both stations vandalized. Replaced flag at west station. Refilled both barrels at E. Station, replaced one faucet.

5/06/05
Moved east station away from RR no trespassing sign, a little further east by cattleguard and fence.

5/12/06
Uneventful.

5/14/05
6 migrants near Manville Road and Trico rd. They were in good condition, gave them food and water.

5/19/06
Good scones in Bisbee.

5/19/05
Good trip with Dutch tv crew. We picked up some trash. Saw lots of migrant tracks. Truck #3 engine light came on twice. Rough idle.

5/20/05
Tanks at the west station had the valves left open, flag down. We refilled the tanks and noticed that a minuteman was using the top 2 sections as a shade structure. Had a good conversation and he gave poles back. Wouldn’t give his name, but he had a Jeep Wrangler, Colorado License.

5/25/05
East station had been vandalized (twice by the looks of it). Someone had left gallon jugs at the station to take place of water. Not sure if it was our volunteers or the legal observers down there. There was a reference to ACLU.

5/28/05
Minutemen were camped at BR west. Touched up all the barrels with paint. BR west flag poles were all bent.

6/1/05
Young man from Guatemala beside Highway 92, between Sierra Vista and Paloverde. BP was already there. He appeared OK but had been in desert 2 days without food but had water. We gave him 2 food packets. Left him with officers awaiting pick up.

Flag pole at West Station vandalized, with pole down and broken. We replaced the pole and flag.

6/6/05
Yrena was knocked down but unharmed. Same with South Frink and Hope Springs.

6/27/05
Rattlesnakes! Both tanks shot up. No water left must be replaced.

6/27/05
Lots of Border Patrol out. Planes, trucks, vans and cars locating people on the Frink South Station.

7/11/05
4 migrants on bikes at Poplar Grove. Gave food and water.

7/13/05
Encountered a few teenagers and 2 adults on Manville and Avra Valley Road. Gave them 6 small water bottles and 4 big 1 gallon bottles. Also gave them 7-8 food bags. They said they just arrived to the US today at 4:00 a.m. and were involved in an accident. No one was hurt. At this point the border patrol arrived.

7/18/05
Yrena vandalized.

7/22/05
One gentleman encountered on David Rd. southeast of Tombstone.

There was a Border Patrol Agent parked at the East Station. We collected his name and information in case we want to make inquiry.

7/23/05
4 migrants encountered from Guatemala.

7/29/05
Met 5 migrants from Honduras—gave food and water. They haven’t eaten in 2 days. Destination Phoenix.

7/30/05
Central American named Manicio? from Guatemala was left behind from a group of 30, had been walking 17 days from Altar. Heading to Phoenix. A final destination: California. Looked remarkably strong and healthy.

7/30/05
Stuck in the mud at Brawley so—used jack, manpower, to get out.

8/10/05
Saw a group of 12 cross 86 on way to Cowtown.

8/12/05
Border Patrol was staking out Border Road East.

9/3/05
No More Deaths volunteers let us know that the BA South station had been drained and the flag bent. They straightened the flag for us. We filled the barrels.

9/9/05
2 young men from Vera Cruz, Mex on the Avro Valley road. Two men we encountered told us that 4 men were 1 hour behind them in desert were in bad shape. No water, no food, bad feet and wanted help. We met the border patrol members and helicopter at location and directed them in the location.

9/19/05
Engine light on.

10/22/05
Stopped for migrant needing help. Called border patrol to help him out. They came immediately. He asked us to get them because he wanted to return to Mexico and was lost and exhausted. Hunting season in PA, warning given, heard gunfire. Hunters Org. having large gathering at Pima Co. Emptied our tanks, ground soaking wet. We talked to them. We think Pima Co. should know what they have done.

11/19/05
2 men on bikes who ran away as we approached BA south.

12/31/05
Truck bed coming apart!

1/06/06
Manville was destroyed completely. Stand was gone and barrels were punctured. Flag missing.

1/21/06
2 men at 34.5 milepost. Fed, gave water. In good shape but had us call BP. Wanted to go back to Mexico. BP responded with 15 minutes.

2/4/06
We encountered 2 migrants walking along highway 286. We stopped and spoke with them. They wanted to know direction to Phoenix. After we pulled away the migra pulled up and took them in. They had been passed several times earlier that morning by border patrol.

2/18/06
1--2 packs of food; 2 packs of water
2--4 packs of food; 4 bottles of water

3/3/06
We encountered 2 mid 30-40 migrants and gave them food and water.
Lost bung wrench at one of the stops. Sorry.

4/15/06
2 men from Michoacan (at Cowtown) gave them water and several food packets.

4/15/06
Mile Post 35 BP were putting a group of men with back packs and h2o into truck. Several more BP vehicles heading south. Check engine—light is on.

BA South we found lots of activity recently—footprints, new bottles, empty, empty back pack, food containers and people. Lots of blue trail markers. Milepost 26—BP has set up a check point.

4/16/06
Several in a group stopped by Border Patrol at mile post 25.

4/19/06
Mile 28 young man 8:30 a.m. was OK, wanted to return to Mexico. Called BP.

4/22/06
BA South Station encountered 15-20 migrants in BP custody. (Film crew in tow.) Pima county gate locked with one lock. No access by vehicle. Need a new key or something.

4/29/06
Between Brawley wash stations, encountered 2 migrants. One had some difficulty walking. Called 911 Border Patrol to Pick up.

5/11/06
4 migrants and border patrol on Trico Road. Truck 3 needs food and water. Service brake booster message on gas.

5/13/06
BP had 7-8 migrants along Avia Valley Rd near the mine. BP refused to allow us to give them water.

5/20/06 2 migrants—didn’t need anything, crossed in 4 days and are camping near a water station.

5/26/06
Purdy Lane sign is gone. 2 Minute Men from Phoenix showed up and photographed us without introducing selves; only on the 3rd time did they answer my question about who they were; chlorine level low.

6/3/06
Please pick up farm jack from the store in Sasabe arizona. They are holding it for us.

6/13/06
Looked like cow ? chewed on spigot—barrel was empty because spigot was broken.

6/27/06
All 4 tanks were punctured and empty. We turned them over, but they need to be replaced!!!

7/8/06
Truck #4 Stolen pump!

BA North all 3 faucets were missing. Replaced and filled, power pole down 100 yards north of station.

7/9/06
Significant problem with little ranch. Bee’s have formed a hive on the underbelly of the one barrel—unable to reach water station—bee’s swarming.

7/16/06
Flag at Cot stolen. Replaced with new flag. Moderate footprints at Cot coming from south fence. Again swarm of bees at little ranch, punched hole in barrel belly where bees are gathered. Engine light on entire trip.

8/3/06
Heavy rain on the trip out. Delayed for 1/2 hour due to flooded tunnel. BR east: both barrels shot—bullets inside. Replaced both, but first replaced barrel—none of our bungs fit one hole. Second replacement barrel had knife cut in it 1/2 way up. Water pump problems. Tried again but several connections opened up spraying water everywhere. Finally gravity filled barrel up to level of knife cuts and the other now quite full. All barrels on truck 4 need to be checked and repaired.

8/11/06
3 men, 1 women. They had water, 1 man had bad blisters. We gave them food and bandaids, shoes and socks.

9/14/06
2 minutemen between Manville and Trico sitting in chairs with rifles.

10/7/06
Need flags. Replaced flag at Pima City. Flushed one tank at BA North because it looked rusty.

La migra seemed to be staking out the BA South station.

11/4/06
Please be careful when adding chlorine. The test strip at Brawley were very dark!!! BA South trashed, flag literally ripped in 5 segments, barrels emptied and overturned, stands thrown away from site.

Labels: Arizona, migrant issues

All photographs and written material copyright © 2003-2008 by Kim Antieau unless otherwise indicated. May not be used without permission.