A dramatic chase unfolded in Pietermaritzburg on Thursday morning when a man, believed to have mugged someone, took an unexpected plunge into the Duzi River off the College Road bridge, in a bid to escape.

Eyewitnesses said the suspect leapt off a bridge and landed in the river below, The Witness reports.

Police officers and members of the local traffic department quickly arrived at the scene and were seen tracking the man from the riverbanks as he swam down the river.

According to eyewitnesses, the chase ended with the man being apprehended by police further downstream.

However, Mountain Rise police spokesperson Warrant Officer Panchael Singh confirmed the incident but declined to comment on it when approached.

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