New Zealand: He stole a statue and drowned in freezing water
A man who stole a statue of nuclear physicist pioneer Ernest Rutherford has been arrested in Bright Water, New Zealand over the weekend by a police officer who dived…
A police officer has arrested a man who stole a statue of nuclear physicist Ernest Rutherford in Bright Water, New Zealand, over the weekend, after he dunked into the frigid river water to defy him.
The statue of Ernest Rutherford, representing the 1908 Nobel laureate born in Brightwater, will be able to return to its two feet, which remained alone on the pedestal after the flight.
The work was stolen on Friday evening, and surveillance cameras captured images of the thief fleeing on a bicycle with the heavy metal statue.
Lorsque, deux jours plus tard, le suspect de 35 ans a sauté dans la rivière Wai-iti au beau milieu de l’hiver pour échapper à la police, l’agent Jamie White a plongé dans les eaux glacées à son tour pour l’ Questioning.
“Despite his best efforts to escape across the Wai-Iti River, I surprised him, swam behind him and managed to capture him,” White told AFP in a statement.
He added, “I can say I enjoyed a nice hot shower afterwards!”
The alleged thief is scheduled 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.
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