Early Sunday morning, a 22-year-old man experiencing a mental health crisis led police on a dramatic chase that ended with an unusual twist—he climbed aboard a random boat on Balboa Island in Newport Beach.
It all started around 7 a.m. in Irvine near Rockefeller and Jamboree Road. People reported seeing a “suspicious man with blood on him,” prompting officers to check it out. When police arrived, they found the man sitting in a car, visibly injured. But instead of staying put, he sped off down Jamboree Road. The pursuit only ended when he ran out of road near the Newport Beach harbor.
Things took an even stranger turn when the man jumped into the water. He grabbed a kayak and paddled out to a boat floating in the harbor. Officers didn’t want to take any chances with his safety. With help from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Harbor Patrol, they carefully brought him back to shore.
Police later confirmed the man had hurt himself with a razor blade and tossed it into the ocean. Covered in blood from the self-inflicted cuts, he was taken to the hospital for treatment.
Thankfully, no one else was hurt, and the man is now getting the help he needs. This unusual incident highlights the importance of addressing mental health crises with care and understanding.
