Rachel Denny Clow/Caller-Times The La Niña, the only remaining Columbus Ship replica, is docked at its new home at the Lawrence Street T-Head on Friday, Oct. 10, 2014.

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By Julie Garcia of the Caller-Times

A naked man momentarily evaded police and attempted to liberate a Columbus replica ship for a predawn voyage early Wednesday.

Just after 6 a.m., Corpus Christi police were called to the Peoples Street T-Head and saw the 29-year-old naked man in the water. He was hanging off the bulkhead of a vessel in the water, according to a news release.

He refused help from officers to get out of the bay, and instead swam across the channel to the Lawrence Street T-Head. The naked man then removed the mooring lines connecting the last remaining Columbus replica ship, La Niña, to the dock before climbing the stairs of Joe's Crab Shack, police said.

While standing on the ledge of the third-floor balcony of the restaurant, police took him into custody.

The man was arrested on suspicion of indecent exposure, evading arrest and public intoxication, all misdemeanors. The Caller-Times typically does not name individuals arrested on suspicion of misdemeanors.

The Columbus replica ship was not harmed and did not float away during the incident.

Twitter: @Caller_Jules