A naked man was rescued early Thursday after jumping off the Venice Beach Pier in what witnesses first thought was a suicide attempt.
The man leaped into the cold ocean waters Thursday at about 3 a.m. Soon lifeguards and law enforcement personnel arrived and, despite his attempts at evading the police, the man was apprehended.
"I was just watching the waves going for a midnight stroll and the next thing I know there's a helicopter spotlight (and a) police patrol coming in fast," witness Houston Golden said. "Then I saw a naked man running in from the ocean underneath the pier coming up, trying to hide underneath the pier."
The man, who lives in the area and who police believe was intoxicated, said he was ok and just wanted to go for a dip. He was with friends at the time he decided to go night swimming, but they opted against joining him in the water.
However he got more than he bargained for, as he was slapped with a fine for being on the beach after hours.
