A wanted man who jumped into the Gorge Waterway to flee police, sparking a massive manhunt, has been arrested without incident, according to investigators.
The incident started at around 3 p.m. in the upper part of the Gorge. West Shore RCMP officers spotted the man, who was wanted for several charges in Kelowna and Vernon including being unlawfully at large.
As he fled police, he jumped into the water off the Craigowan Road peninsula and "made concerning comments about hurting himself before he would get out of the water," Mounties said in a news release.
That sparked a massive search for the man, with officers from Saanich and Victoria and fire crews from View Royal and Saanich aiding in the efforts. Many residents in the area took to social media to report the major police presence
The man was found about 40 minutes later on the shore of Craigowan Road, hiding in bushes, and was arrested without incident, police said.
The suspect, a 49-year-old man of no fixed address, was taken into custody and will appear in court Thursday morning, according to RCMP.
