West Shore RCMP officers had to fish a fleeing suspect out of Metchosin's Blinkhorn Lake this week. A 33-year-old Coquitlam man jumped into the water in an attempt to avoid being apprehended after a brief foot chase.

The man is a suspect in an earlier break and enter at a home in the 4000-block of Happy Valley Rd. in Langford. The incident was captured on video surveillance and a photo of the vehicle, including the license plate, as well as a photo of the suspect were provided to police.

The licence plate was reported stolen several hours later and further investigation also revealed the truck was stolen.

Members of the local detachment's crime reduction unit located the stolen vehicle travelling on Happy Valley Road just after 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The truck stopped at Blinkhorn Nature Park, at which point one of the four occupants attempted to run from police and ended up in the lake.

The Coquitlam man was held in custody and another male occupant of the vehicle was arrested on an outstanding warrant. The two other occupants were released at the scene without charges.

katie@goldstreamgazette.com