IRENE HSIAO

A Mexican woman died Monday in a flooded Nogales wash while trying to cross illegally into the United States, but her two daughters were pulled to safety, officials said.

Nogales police got several 911 calls at 4:30 p.m. Monday that two people were floating in a wash, said Nogales police Lt. Eddie Rosas.

Officers and firefighters tossed 12-year-old Rosa A. Dominguez-Dueñas a life-saving device.

Her sister, Laura Dominguez-Dueñas, 14, ended up floating downstream, he said.

The mother, Veronica Dueñas Ramirez, 32, was found dead farther north in the wash, Rosas said.

The three were from Michoacan state and were trying to get to Atlanta, where the girls' father was, he said.

Rosas said he dove into 15 to 20 feet of water to reach the 14-year-old.

"I radioed that I had her. All of sudden she started to slip away. I pretty much threw my radio in the bank. I needed both of my hands," he said.

At one point, Rosas and Officer Robert Gallego were both holding onto the girl, he said.

"Honestly, I thought we were gone, we were done, we were going to die," said Rosas, who has been an officer for 23 years.

The wash starts five miles south of Nogales, Son., and connects to the Santa Cruz River.