One suspect swam across the north Thompson River while officers watched from shore.
Photo courtesy BC RCMP
KAMLOOPS, B.C. — Kamloops RCMP are searching for a balding, bearded man who made a daring escape from officers by swimming across the north Thompson River in the middle of the night following a pub break-in and ATM theft.
It was just after 3:30 a.m. on June 26, when frontline officers were called to a break and enter at a pub in the 3300-block of Westsyde Road. Two suspects had been seen entering the establishment and making off with an ATM. The pair fled in what was later determined to be a stolen truck.
The vehicle and the ATM have since been recovered, though the cash inside had already been removed by the time police located them.
But the crime took a decidedly wet turn when an RCMP police dog handler tracked two males matching the suspects’ descriptions to the north Thompson River. That’s where officers watched as both men plunged into the chilly water.
One suspect was arrested shortly after entering the river. The other, however, kept swimming—all the way across to the opposite shore, where he vanished despite a significant search effort.
The outstanding suspect is described as a balding Caucasian male with a beard and full sleeve tattoos on his right arm and shoulder. He was last seen wearing a pair of blue jeans—likely soaking wet and now undoubtedly cold, according to police.
Investigators have released a photo of the suspect mid-swim, captured from the riverbank, and are urging residents living east of the north Thompson River to keep watch.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Kamloops RCMP.
