Coastguard Lake Taupō volunteers alerted the police to a potential suspect. When officers tried to speak with the man, he jumped into the water and swam across the Waikato River to the Nukuhau side.
He then re-entered the river and swam back to the Taupō side.
After emerging from the water, the man climbed a tree and claimed to be stuck.
As a precaution, Fire and Emergency NZ and an ambulance were called to help with the man’s extraction from the tree branch.
Police are appealing to boaties in the area to report any instances of their vessels being interfered with