A man who was stopped by Quebec provincial police early Sunday morning jumped into a nearby river before they could administer a breathalyzer test.

Sûreté du Québec officers were patrolling in their cruiser along Route President Kennedy — near the town of Scott, south of Quebec City — when a car left the parking lot of a bar and cut them off.

The officers pulled the car over and had the driver, a 29-year-old male, step out of his vehicle. They suspected the driver was inebriated.

But as they began to administer the roadside breathalyzer test, the driver suddenly took off on foot and jumped into the Chaudière River, which borders President Kennedy.

"The officers immediately began a search operation and called in firefighters for help," said Sûreté du Québec spokesman Claude Denis.

Initially the search turned up nothing. But then around 6:30 a.m. an SQ officer spotted a man walking along President Kennedy.

"His clothes were all wet but he was in good health," Denis said. "The officer proceeded to arrest him."

The suspect is currently in police custody and is being interviewed by investigators.

"He's lucky," Denis said of the escape attempt. "He could have died."