New details have surfaced that shine light on the tragic final moments for a family of four who froze to death at the U.S.- Canada border. Border patrol agents discovered the remains of Jagdish Patel, 39 and Vaishailben Patel, 37, and their children Vihangi, 11, and Dharkmik, three, in a field.
The entire family froze to death in temperatures that reached below -40F. The family of four was trying to enter the United States illegally, but human smugglers, Steve Stand and Harshkumar Patel, left the family stranded. Courts found both guilty for the roles they played in the 2022 deaths.
Daniel Huguley, a US Border Patrol intelligence agent, recounted the heartbreaking memory of finding the family of four's belongings buried in the snow.
"First thing I saw ... was that diaper," he testified before a US District Court, according to The National Post. He also found wipes, mittens, two little toy trucks, and other items. Huguley reported the findings, and officials later found the bodies of the family of four. The father had attempted to warm his young boy by cradling him.
Family Of Four Dies
Courts found Shand and Harshkumar guilty as part of a smuggling ring for helping to smuggle Indian noncitizens into the United States. The two had been driving a passenger van attempting to smuggle people into the United States. That's when the vehicle got stuck in the snow. That's when they got stopped by the border patrol.
At some point prior, the smugglers told all of their illegal passengers to apparently to leave the vehicle. While authorities found some migrants alive wandering nearby, they didn't find the family of four until it was too late. Shand had also lied about there being more border-crossing migrants.
Agents found five people alive but suffering from the elements. The family of four had allegedly called the leader of the smuggling ring, Fenil Patel. He had advised them to get back on the Canadian side of the border, and he would have someone pick them up. But no one came.
"[Fenil] said that he told them: 'Come back to where you came from and I'll [have someone] pick you up there,'" Rajinder Paul Singh, who worked for the smuggling ring, testified. "He lied to them." Authorities are trying to extradite Fanil for the crime.
