I did almost the same thing back in 83, kid escaped from youth detention centre, stole a car, we saw him and followed him to the end of the road on a spit of land up near Woy Woy. Kid leaps into water to swim to other side to avoid the cops who had followed him to the stop. Looks like kid will make it to the other side, while cops try to take over a rowboat from an old couple to join the wet pursuit.
I came down low between him and the other side, to give him a hint that he should turn back. No joy. Come lower, fair bit of downwash, he slows down, but still wants to swim away from the plods in the badly-rowed boat. OK, come down lower still, waves blowing hard into the kid's face. He stops swimming, and starts drowning. Rats. Move away a bit, let plods pull him on board. Story has a happy end, except for the owner of the RX-8 that the kid ruined on his joyride.