A naked man rambling incoherently jumped into a Kosciusko County lake and was followed by two police officers attempting to save him.

When police arrived Sunday evening at the Crystal Lake home, they found the man already engaged in a quarrel with a sheriff’s deputy from Kosciusko County, according to the Indiana State Police.

Sensing that a jump in the lake might be imminent, Trooper Tim Carpenter and Deputy Mike Fowler removed their gun belts and most of their uniforms as they walked onto the pier, police said.

They continued to talk with the man, who was not identified, as they approached the end of the pier. Police said it became obvious that the man was suffering from a mental health emergency.

The man then jumped in the water and swam away, according to the state police.

Carpenter and Fowler continued to talk with the man, but he still swam away, prompting police to go after him.

Carpenter was able to pull the man to shore with the help of Fowler in the water and another deputy on shore with a rescue rope.

All three made it safely to shore, and the man was transported to a Warsaw hospital for evaluation, police said.

cmeyers@jg.net