A policeman dives into freezing water to arrest a man suspected of stealing a statue

The work representing Ernest Rutherford, pioneering physicist and 1908 Nobel laureate, will be able to get back on his feet. A man suspected of stealing a statue in Brightwater ( New Zealand) was arrested by a police officer two days later. The officer had to dive into the freezing waters of a river to catch the suspect.

During the theft, the security cameras captured footage of a thief on a bicycle with the heavy metal statue.

“I enjoyed a good hot shower”

Two days later, the 35-year-old suspect jumped into the Wai-Iti River in the bleak winter to evade the police. Therefore, Agent Jimmy White plunged into the icy water in turn to arrest him. “Despite all his attempts to escape (…) I swam after him and managed to catch him,” the policeman said in a press release. “I can say I enjoyed a nice hot shower afterwards!” he added.

The alleged thief was due to appear in court on Monday. The statue, which was found in a house in good condition, must be returned to its base at the Rutherford Memorial in Brightwater. Lord Rutherford (1871-1937) was a pivotal figure in the study of radioactivity and led the exploration of nuclear physics.