Naked NC man running from police jumped into cold river. He died shortly after.

A naked North Carolina man died Sunday after he jumped into a river while trying to avoid being arrested for indecent exposure.

Bernard Bryant, 29, was naked and being chased by police when he jumped into the Little River, behind the Church of the Covenant in Spring Lake, reported TV station WABC. The community is about 121 mile east of Charlotte.

Officers surrounded the river, forcing Bryant to make his way to the edge, where authorities were able to remove him from the cold water, media outlets reported. Temperatures were in the upper 30s early Sunday.

Bryant was taken to a hospital, where he died, reported WECT. It is not clear if hypothermia was a factor in Bryant's death, the station reported.

Officers said their pursuit of Bryant began after they received multiple reports of a naked man running around West Manchester Road near North Bragg Boulevard around 9 a.m., media outlets reported.

It was unclear why Bryant was running naked. TV Station CBS17 reported mental illness may have been a factor. The Cumberland County sheriff’s office says he had been arrested 24 times since 2006. The last four times for indecent exposure, reported CBS17.

This story was originally published March 20, 2018 at 7:33 AM with the headline "Naked NC man running from police jumped into cold river. He died shortly after.."