3-hour search for man missing in water ends with his arrest

A massive three-hour search and rescue operationfor a man believed to be in distress andmissingin Victoria's inner harbour Wednesday afternoon ended with thatman'sarrest on several outstanding warrants, according to Victoria police.

At around 4:20 p.m.Wednesday, policewere called to the harbourafter a person was reportedly seenslipping intothe water on the south side of the Johnson Street Bridge, apolice statement said.

The sprawling search involved several agencies including the city's police force, the Victoria Fire Department, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the Coast Guard, and the Saanichpolice dive team, the statement said.

One officer whojumped into the water to searchfor the man for a "significant" amount of time had to be treatedfor exposure to the cold, it said.

First man, then warrants surface

Despite the massive effort, police said the man was not found until around7:30 p.m., when he finally surfaced on his own.

Paramedics treated himat the scene, and he wasarrested and detainedovernight to appear in court Thursday morning.

In the course of the investigation, police said they spoke with a witness who told them the man hadintentionally jumped into the water.

"He stepped into the water but we're really not sure why," said VIcPD spokesperson Bowen Osoko.

According to police, the man was in distress as soon as he entered the water and immediately began calling for help.

Police say the man faces numerous chargesincluding assault, forcible entry, assaulting a police officer causing bodily harmand uttering threats.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Victoria Police Department.