QUITMAN — The identity of a body pulled from the Withlacoochee River will not be released until after an autopsy, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Friday.

The discovery of the body came Thursday afternoon, nearly a week after a man disappeared along the river while running from law-enforcement, according to authorities.

The man ran after Georgia State Patrol stopped his vehicle Saturday, Dec. 8, according to a GBI report.

Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk said authorities found clothing along the river bank and assume the man attempted to swim across the Withlacochee. The river is high from recent rains, the sheriff said.

Authorities had been searching the river that runs along the Lowndes-Brooks county line.

A body was found during the noon hour Thursday on the Brooks County side, Paulk said.

Specifically, the body was recovered from the river off of Highway 94 and Georgia 133 in Brooks County, according to the GBI. Brooks County Sheriff Mike Dewey requested assistance from the GBI.

The body was taken to the GBI Crime Lab in Macon for an autopsy.

“After the autopsy is conducted, the preliminary results will be provided to agents conducting the investigation,” according to a statement from Jamy Steinberg, GBI special agent in charge, Thomasville GBI office. “Agents have been and will be conducting interviews with all law enforcement involved in the case, any other witnesses and reviewing any available video or other evidence available in the case to determine what took place.”

The GBI will give the case to the Southern District Attorney’s Office once the investigation is complete, he said.

The identity will be released upon completion of the autopsy and notification of family members, Steinberg said Friday afternoon.