POLICE – Man arrested on B&E charge after swimming across river

A man went for an early morning swim across the South Thompson River today (June 21, 2017) before being arrested in connection with a break-in to a home in the G&M Trailer Park.

Kamloops RCMP received a call at 6 a.m. about a break and enter in progress when the home’s residents could hear someone inside their house.  There were no suspects in the home when police arrived but Police Dog Services tracked a man south where he was seen getting into the river.

The suspect swam across and clung to an old dock pillar.

“With the Kamloops Fire and Rescue boat closing in on his location, officers on the south shore of the river convinced the suspect that it would be in his best interest to come ashore, which he did,” said Cpl. Jody Shelkie.

The 23-year-old man was arrested and taken to Royal Inland Hospital to be treated for hypothermia after being in the river for about 30 minutes.

The suspect has recently moved to British Columbia and has numerous outstanding warrants out of Alberta and Manitoba for possession of stolen property, break and enter and firearms offences, Shelkie said.  He will be going before a judge to face new charges of break and enter and obstructing a police officer.