A man who dined on an expensive seafood dinner and dashed straight into the Gold Coast surf has faced court charged with stealing and assault.
Terry Peck, 33, allegedly tucked into a $621 meal at Omeros Bros Seafood Restaurant on Sunday evening, including two lobster mornays, 21 oyster shooters, baby octopus and six Coronas.
He allegedly stole another six-pack of beer from the Surfers Paradise restaurant before police on jet-skis arrested him on Sunday afternoon.
Staff from the restaurant chased Peck after he allegedly fled the venue and dived into the ocean at Main Beach.
Lifeguards towed police officers out into the water on the back of jet-skis to talk to Peck.
A police spokesman said officers were concerned about the man's safety because of how drunk he was.
Officers were forced to jump into the water to bring Peck back to shore after he refused to get out of the water on his own, police said.
Peck faced Southport Magistrates Court on Monday charged with one count of stealing and two counts of seriously assaulting a police officer.
He was released on bail and is due back in court on May 4.
With AAP