Naked Man Who Tried to Swim Out to Sea to Avoid Police Under Psychological Evaluation

A man in his 40s was undergoing psychological evaluation at a hospital today and being checked for hypothermia after he ran into the water at Redondo Beach to avoid being arrested, police said.

“Basically, he was trying to swim out to sea,” said Redondo Beach police Sgt. Alan Beck.

Even with a life buoy around his chest, broadcast footage showed the man resisting repeated attempts to drag him aboard a Harbor Patrol boat by Harbor Patrol officers, one of whom spent more than 25 minutes in the water with the man.

Beck said the confrontation began with the man running a red light in front of Redondo Beach officers around 10 p.m. Thursday at the intersection of South Catalina Avenue and Emerald Street. The man turned into Torrance Boulevard and then jumped out of the car as it rolled downhill toward the beach, Beck said.

The vehicle mounted the curb and came to rest against a fence. The man’s mother was inside the vehicle, Beck said.

The man ran across the beach and out into the water, shedding his clothing as he did so.

Subsequent attempts by Harbor Patrol officers to haul the 270-pound man out of the water were unsuccessful. He was then manhandled onto a lifeguard’s surfboard and brought back to shore, where he was detained.

Beck said the Harbor Patrol officer who had tried to rescue the man then swam back out to the boat, which he estimated was 25 yards offshore.

No one was hurt during the incident, Beck said.

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City News Service

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