Police Say La Mesan Tried to Evade Drunk Tank by Jumping into Ocean

A La Mesa man suspected of drunken driving made a watery escape from police early Tueday by running into the ocean and swimming away after getting pulled over in Pacific Beach, authorities said.
  
A patrol officer stopped the 28-year-old man—whose name has not been released—on suspicion of DUI in the 700 block of Grand Avenue about 2:30 a.m., said public-affairs Lt. Andra Brown.
  
Immediately after pulling to a stop, the motorist jumped out of his pickup truck and sprinted to the shoreline at nearby Pacific Beach Park, leaving behind a passenger in the vehicle, Brown said.
  
The suspect, who was clad in jeans and a T-shirt, proceeded directly into the sea—which has been in the mid- to high 50s in recent weeks—and swam out of sight.
  
Lifeguards began searching the ocean and coastline for the driver.

Shortly before daybreak, a Coast Guard helicopter joined in the effort to find the La Mesa resident.
  
Meanwhile, the man the DUI suspect left behind cooperated with officers, identifying his fugitive friend and providing them with contact telephone
numbers, the lieutenant said.
  
Several hours later, family members called the police to report that he had gotten in touch with them, was OK and would turn himself in, according to Brown. The search-and-rescue efforts were then called off.
 
“We ask that he call the San Diego Police Department so we know, indeed, that he is safe,” she said late Tuesday morning.  “But that has not happened as yet.”

City News Service contributed to this report.