A Victoria man is facing several charges after the theft of a front-end loader Saturday night.
Police say the unidentified man braved frigid waters to swim across the Gorge Waterway and break into a compound where the heavy equipment was being stored.
A security guard who spotted the man wading ashore had to leap out of the way as the suspect fired up the loader and trundled it out of the lot, crushing a parked motorcycle during the slow-speed getaway.
Police intercepted the vehicle within a few blocks, but it took a little longer to round up the suspect.
A police dog eventually sniffed out the man and he was taken into custody after he leaped from the loader and fled on foot.
