Shocking moment man wanted by police dives into swimming pool from five-storey balcony to avoid arrest

SHOCKING footage shows the moment a man jumped from his fifth floor balcony into a swimming pool to escape police.

As he dangles from the edge of the balcony, an officer tries to pull him back over the edge, but he lets go and falls into the water.

Stunned onlookers said the man climbed out of the pool and continued to run from police after his reckless jump.

And someone who lived nearby said the man ran through his own backyard as he tried to flee.

The footage shows him sitting on the edge and monitoring the fall below him.

He then swings himself away, dangling by his fingertips on what is presumably the balcony of his apartment.

His apartment in Palm Beach, Australia, appears to be about five floors up.

With his legs wriggling in the air, he tries to scramble back to safety, but struggles to get a grip on the flat stone.

When a police officer appears on the balcony, he does not rush to pull the man down again or shake his hand very quickly.

It appears they have a brief conversation before he finally reaches over the edge.

But at this point the man lets go and falls meters lower into the pool, his arms and legs flailing.

Police suspect that the man was under the influence of illegal substances at the time. 9news reports.

One of his neighbors, Errol, said, “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

And Seth, who saw the man running through his garden, said: ‘I thought he needed help so I called an ambulance.

“He just went a little crazy, I think.”

Later that afternoon, the police were finally able to arrest the man, a man in his thirties.

He had fled the apartment complex on foot and headed to his parents’ house.

Police have not charged him yet as they continue their investigation.

And miraculously, he is said to have suffered only minor injuries during the dramatic fall.