Migrant mom impaled in front of her children falling from border fence

SAN DIEGO, California -- Authorities said a migrant woman was impaled by pieces of rebar after trying to climb a fence at the U.S.-Mexico border with her two small children.

Border Patrol agent Tekae Michael says the 26-year-old Guatemalan woman fell near the San Ysidro Port of Entry Friday night and landed on pieces of rebar that pierced one side of her body. The woman was also taken to a local hospital and is currently being treated for non-life threatening injuries, according to U.S. Border Patrol.

The children, ages 3 and 5, were not hurt but were checked out at a hospital as a precaution. They were later released back into Border Patrol custody.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports the woman told agents she was not part of the migrant caravan that traveled from Central America to the Mexican border city of Tijuana.

"Entering our country illegally, particularly over our walls, is not only dangerous, but also very foolish," San Diego's Chief Border Patrol Agent Rodney Scott said. "This woman placed her own life and her children's lives in peril. She could have easily died if not for the quick response by our agents and EMS."

The rebar is part of ongoing work to replace decades-old fencing. It's not related to the American military's recent mission to fortify the fence in response to the caravan.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.