Innisfail RCMP and firefighters rescue drowning criminal who had jumped in lake to flee police

On the evening of Aug. 15, 2024, Innisfail RCMP were called to the Dodds Lake area of Innisfail where a suspicious male was going through residents back yards. The male saw one of the owners of a residence and incorrectly believed him to be a plain clothes police officer.  The male immediately jumped into the lake as he believed he was going to be arrested. 

RCMP attended Dodds lake and observed the male bobbing up and down in the middle of the lake.  RCMP members attempted to get the males attention and have him swim to shore.  The male yelled back that he had warrants and he would rather drown than go back to jail. At this point the male had already been in the water for approximately 30 minutes. RCMP called for assistance from Innisfail Fire/Rescue and EMS.  Innisfail Fire deployed a rescue boat with RCMP in an attempt to rescue the male from the water.

When he was located, the male refused to get into the boat due to his outstanding warrants. Eventually the male was complaining about leg cramps and feeling dizzy from ingesting too much lake water and he eventually conceded and was willing go into the rescue boat. He was taken to shore for medical examination by EMS.

The male was found to have no outstanding warrants. When advised of this he was angry as he had, ”done all that for nothing”.

He was however on a 24-hour court ordered curfew and was arrested.

A 25-year-old male resident from Innisfail has been charged with Failing to comply with a release order. He has been released from custody and is scheduled to appear at the Alberta Court of Justice in Red Deer on Sep. 11, 2024.