SURF CITY, N. Carolina — A man who tried to swim his way out of trouble by jumping in the ocean to flee from police was filmed swimming parallel to a shark during the attempt.

Zachary Kingsbury, 20, was suspected of having illegal contraband in his car when police asked him to exit his vehicle. He ran into the ocean, and police used a drone to follow him. The drone captured footage of the shark near Kingsbury.

It is not clear whether he knew the shark was so close to him.

Kingsbury reached about a mile into the ocean an hour into the chase. That's when the drone lost visual contact, but police captured him on a beach about 3 hours later, the Charlotte Observer reports.

Kingsbury is charged with resisting arrest, obstructing an officer, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of methamphetamine and up to half an ounce of marijuana.