The incident at Paphos Airport. He allegedly stole a car and escaped by swimming.

Atypical Paphos airport incident ended with the arrest of a 44-year-old Latvian citizen. The man missed his flight to Riga and then allegedly took a car from the airport parking lot and began his escape.

During the pursuit, the vehicle crashed into a gate at the former airport. The man abandoned the car, attempted to climb over the fence, and then jumped into the sea and attempted to swim away. He was eventually apprehended by airport police officers.

He missed the flight to Riga

The incident occurred on Thursday afternoon. According to Cypriot media, the 44-year-old arrived at the airport too late and missed his scheduled flight to the Latvian capital.

Shortly after, he found himself in the airport parking lot, about to get into a rental car that had been parked moments earlier.

The driver managed to get out of the vehicle, but his wife remained in the passenger seat. According to previous reports, the 44-year-old forced the woman out of the car and then sped off at a high rate of speed.

He went in the wrong direction

The man attempted to drive away from the airport area, but headed west instead of east. This led him to the former Paphos Airport facilities.

The driver's unusual behavior was noticed by people nearby. Some of them followed the car, informing airport security of the situation.

The escape vehicle ended when the car struck a gate and became immobile. It was not immediately clear whether anyone was injured in the collision or how badly the rental car was damaged.

From the car straight to the sea

After the collision, the 44-year-old exited the vehicle and continued to flee on foot. He first attempted to climb over the airport perimeter fence.

He then headed towards the coast, entered the sea, and attempted to swim away. Airport police officers arrived at the scene, located the man, and arrested him.

The 44-year-old was taken into custody. Police are investigating the exact course of events and the circumstances surrounding the car's seizure.

At this stage, Cypriot media have not released a full list of charges he may face.

The rented car is still someone else's property

The term "rental car" might suggest that the vehicle was unattended. However, information so far indicates that the car had just been returned or was in the process of being returned, with a female passenger still inside.

A rental car remains the property of the rental company. The person who rented it remains responsible for the vehicle according to the terms specified in the contract until it is properly returned.

In the event of a theft, collision, or other serious incident, you should immediately notify the rental company and the police. You should not attempt to pursue the vehicle yourself if doing so could endanger anyone.

The police are continuing their investigation. Only after it is completed will it be known what specific crimes or offenses the detainee has been charged with.

Source: Politis.