Man ‘On Drugs’ Avoids Arrest By Hiding In Ocean For 8 Hours

A Californian man looking to avoid arrest on Sunday evening resorted to the only option he had left, and ran into the ocean, staying in the freezing cold water, and escaping the attention of officers for around eight hours.

John Michael White, who was apparently high on drugs when officers were in pursuit of him, stripped to his underwear and ran into the ocean near Coronado at 9.50pm on Sunday, as police closed in on him with a felony warrant.

White stayed in the cold water until 5.30am on Monday, and even then he didn’t hand himself in in exchange for a hot water bottle or a towel, he was snatched and arrested by a special dive team from the San Diego Harbor Police

Over the course of the eight hours, White was surrounded by police, lifeguards, the Coast Guard, and various Navy Shore Patrolmen, as well as police dogs and helicopters.

However, White repeatedly threatened to injure anyone who came near to him, so the police decided to bide their time. As did White, who was seen to be playing with seaweed whilst he paddled in the water

John Bolduc, Harbor Police Chief, told Fox San Diego, “He was actually in and out of the water trying to play a cat and mouse game with officers on shore.”

White had to deal with horrendous circumstances on Monday night, as the water was a freezing 64 degrees, whilst there was also a high surf, and low visibility, all of which hampered officers progress.

As the night wore on police authorities became more and more concerned that White might actually contract hypothermia, and because of the tide, White actually ended up at Silver Stand State Beach, around 6 miles away from where he started.

Officers finally subdued him when a diving team entered the water and surrounded him. He was then taken to a hospital before being charged with resisting arrest and various drug offences.