A Troy man apparently drowned after attempting to swim away from police officers during a pursuit Wednesday morning.

Troy officers made a traffic stop at approximately 11:23 Wednesday morning in the 400 block of Trojan Way when the driver of the vehicle fled the scene on foot.

“Troy police pursued the driver through a rural area and observed him swimming away from the officers in a private pond,” said Trooper Heath Carpenter in a release Thursday. “The subject’s swimming became increasingly distressed, and a Troy police officer requested assistance before entering the water in an unsuccessful attempt to rescue the subject.”

The Covington County Dive Team and divers from the Pike County Sheriff’s office searched for several hours before recovering the body of a black male subject.  The body will be transported to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for examination and positive identification.

Troy Police Chief Randall Barr requested the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) conduct an independent investigation into the pursuit and circumstances surrounding the death.  Agents from SBI immediately responded to process the scene, collect evidence and conduct interviews.

When complete, a copy of the investigation will be provided to Pike County District Attorney Tom Anderson for his consideration.  No additional information will be released at this time.