OCOTILLO, Calif. -- Agents rescued a 22-year-old woman who fell from a 20-foot cliff in California while trying to cross the border illegally, authorities said. In a news release, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the woman's boyfriend got help from Border Patrol agents Thursday night.

Agents made contact with the 44-year-old man while he walked on a highway in the area. He explained his girlfriend fell from the cliff and hurt her back.

The woman was airlifted to a hospital where she underwent an MRI, which revealed she had fractured her spine.

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Authorities say the woman will remain hospitalized until she recovers. Border Patrol agents will later process her for removal from the country.

The man, who was uninjured, was transported to the station for processing.