SUNDAY afternoon, the sun was shining brightly over Kuta Beach. Local and foreign tourists were sunbathing, playing beach volleyball, or enjoying young coconut ice while watching the waves. The cheerful atmosphere suddenly changed when a woman’s scream was heard.
“My wallet! Someone’s pickpocketed!” she exclaimed while pointing at a man running helter-skelter towards the beach.
The pickpocket, a thin man wearing a T-shirt with the image ‘I Love Bali,’ immediately sped up his pace like a marathon runner. Not far behind him, two local police officers on duty in the beach area chased after him. Residents and several tourists also joined in the chase while cheering as if they were watching a show.
“Stop! You won’t be able to escape!” shouted one of the police officers.
However, the pickpocket seemed to have given up hope. Seeing that he was almost caught, he made the strangest decision of his life—throwing himself into the sea.
“I’m free! You guys won’t catch me!” he shouted confidently.
The problem was, he forgot one thing: he couldn’t swim.
As soon as he entered the water, the man immediately panicked. He waved his arms and legs around like a fish that had just seen the ocean for the first time. His face was full of fear, and he started screaming for help.
“Help! I can’t swim!” he screamed as he tried to float.
The tourists who witnessed the incident couldn’t help but laugh. Some even recorded the moment with their phones. One of the foreign tourists with an Australian accent shouted, “Is this part of a local show? Very entertaining!”
Seeing the situation, local residents who were accustomed to swimming immediately took action. Some of them jumped into the water to help the pickpocket. In a matter of minutes, the man was successfully “rescued” and taken to the edge of the beach. Instead of feeling relieved, he looked resigned.
After being lifted to land, the police who were chasing him looked at him while shaking their heads. “Next time if you want to escape, make sure you can swim first,” said one of the police with a sneer.
The crowd of tourists gave a standing ovation. Some of them even considered the incident as additional entertainment at Kuta Beach. One of the Japanese tourists even approached the police and said, “Good job! Bali police very fast and smart!”
Finally, the pickpocket was taken to the police station soaking wet and with a face full of shame. At the police station, he muttered softly, “Why didn’t I just run into the street…”
The incident became a funny story on Kuta Beach for several days. Tourists uploaded the video to social media with various titles such as “Bali’s Wet Adventure” or “The Pickpocket Who Can’t Swim,’ making it go viral and adding an unforgettable impression to anyone who was on the beach that day. (*)
