| Amsterdam Police Arrest Swimming Burglar
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - Amsterdam police arrested a fugitive burglar after
he attempted to escape by diving into a canal in the early hours of Monday,
police said.
Amsterdam's scenic canals are flushed nightly and are not believed to harbor
diseases but people are strongly discouraged from swimming in them.
"We go in the water if we absolutely have to, but we'd rather not," said
spokesman Leo Dortland. "In this case it wasn't necessary."
A pair of police on patrol recognized the 21-year-old man, whose name was not
released, on the street. They were interviewing him about an unserved prison
sentence, when he suddenly dived into the canal.
He attempted to elude arrest by swimming underwater and surfacing in
unexpected places. At one point he climbed onto the roof of a flower booth
bordering the canal, then dived back into the water when police approached,
Dortland said.
In the end, he surrendered and allowed himself to be hoisted out of the
water. |
