TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- Two young sisters led U.S. Border Patrol agents to the body of their mother, whom they said died while the three were crossing the border illegally.

Agents found Maria Hernandez Escobedo of Durango, Mexico, lying on her back beneath a mesquite tree west of Bisbee on Sunday afternoon, said Carol Capas, a spokeswoman for the Cochise County Sheriff's Department.

There were no obvious signs of foul play and the body was turned over to the Cochise County Medical Examiner's office, Capas said.

The girls, who are 10 and 11 years old, said they had crossed illegally into the country on Friday, and ran out of water Sunday morning, said Capas.

The mother began hallucinating and going in and out of consciousness, her daughters told deputies, Capas said. They left her on Sunday afternoon to search for help.

The girls, Nancy Valdez Hernandez and Sandra Valdez Hernandez, were returned to Mexico and turned over to the Mexican government, said Border Patrol spokesman Richard DeWitt.

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Information from: Arizona Daily Star, http://www.azstarnet.com

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