A 25-year-old Innisfail man who jumped into Dodds Lake to evade what he believed was an impending arrest was later rescued and charged, only to discover he had no outstanding warrants.Thursday night, Innisfail RCMP were called to the Dodds Lake area following reports of a suspicious man trespassing through residents' backyards. When the man saw one of the homeowners, he mistakenly believed the individual was an undercover police officer. In a panic, the man leaped into the lake, convinced he was about to be arrested.RCMP officers arrived at the scene to find the man struggling in the middle of the lake, repeatedly bobbing up and down in the water. Despite officers' attempts to coax him back to shore, the man shouted that he had warrants and would rather drown than return to jail. By this point, the man had been in the water for approximately 30 minutes.Innisfail Fire/Rescue and EMS were called to assist. A rescue boat, manned by RCMP officers, was deployed to bring the man to safety. Despite initially refusing help due to his fear of arrest, the man eventually agreed to be rescued after complaining of leg cramps and dizziness from swallowing too much lake water. He was taken to shore and given a medical examination.After being brought to safety, the man learned that he had no outstanding warrants. Angered by the revelation, he reportedly exclaimed that he had "done all that for nothing."However, officers discovered the man was under a 24-hour court-ordered curfew, leading to his arrest. The man has been charged with failing to comply with a release order. He was released from custody and is scheduled to appear at the Alberta Court of Justice in Red Deer on September 11.
