Police are searching for an armed man who tried to rob two courier service employees this morning in downtown Beaufort.

The two Swanson Services employees had just exited their van at about 10:30 a.m. and were preparing to make a deposit at the Wells Fargo bank at 1011 Bay St. when a masked man drove up and pointed a gun at them, according to a Beaufort Police Department news release. He demanded they hand over their deposit bag.

Police said the robbery attempt was foiled when the courier service employees scattered. The person carrying the deposit bag ran into the bank.

Police Chief Matt Clancy said the suspect drove off after the “intended victim ran into the bank.”

Nobody was injured and no bank employees were victims, he said.

The suspect was described as a black male wearing a hooded sweatshirt. Part of his face was covered by camouflage material. It’s not clear what type of weapon he carried.

Police did not say in which direction the suspect fled after the robbery went awry. Clancy said there are conflicting descriptions about the type of car he was driving.

“We are hoping that (surveillance) video will show the vehicle,” he said.

Related content:

Armed robbery reported at poker game in Burton home, Feb. 7, 2013