Officials in Lehigh County said the body of a man who fled from law enforcement authorities on Thursday was recovered Saturday afternoon from the Lehigh River in Coplay.

Identified for now by Lehigh County Coroner Daniel A. Buglio as “John Doe,” the 46-year-old man, who the coroner said is from Northampton, was the person of interest police tried to apprehend on Thursday. He was pronounced dead after being recovered from about nine feet of water, the coroner said.

Coplay Police Chief Ryan Emmerich said the man had warrants against him in both Lehigh and Northampton counties, and members of the Lehigh County Sheriff’s Office tried to arrest him at a home on Howertown Road in Northampton when he fled on foot.

Police said the man jumped into the river in that same area late Thursday morning while fleeing police. They said he tried to make it across the river, but went under and did not resurface. Area rescue crews spent hours searching for the man Thursday afternoon, but were not able to find him.

According to emergency radio reports, on Saturday, dive teams were called to Canal and Stewart streets near Canal Park in Northampton, on the other side of the river. The recovery occurred there and the man was pronounced dead at 4:20 p.m., Buglio said.

He said an autopsy will be performed tomorrow at the Coroner’s Office and Forensic Center to determine the cause of death.

In addition to Coplay police, personnel from the Northampton Regional Emergency Medical Services corps, Lehigh Township, Northampton, East Allen and Lehighton fire departments, the Northampton Police Department and the Pennsylvania Water Rescue team assisted in the search.

Buglio expressed appreciation to all of the emergency responders, citing their “professionalism, teamwork and dedication” in the search and recovery efforts.