KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — A motorcyclist vanished into the Kalamazoo River Monday after running away from officers, police say.

Police said Tuesday they were still working to identify the person.

Around 4:30 p.m. Monday, the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety said, an officer tried to pull the motorcyclist over in the area of Michigan Avenue and Rose Street for a license plate violation. Police say the motorcyclist wouldn’t stop.

But the bike had some sort of mechanical problem, slowing it so the officer could catch up in the area of Harrison Street and E. Michigan Avenue, less than a mile from the traffic stop attempt.

The motorcyclist ditched the bike and ran away, heading through Veteran’s Memorial Park. The officer gave chase.

“Stop! Stop! Stop, police, stop,” the officer can be heard shouting on body camera video released by KDPS on Facebook.

The video shows the man hop a fence and then run into the water, initially trying to swim across but then stopping mid-river. Pursuing officers didn’t follow him into the cold water.

“He’s in the middle of the river right now,” the officer reported back on his radio. “Looks like he’s kind of given up. He’s just kind of walking in the river.”

“You’re going to go to jail, anyway, dude,” the officer shouted at the man. “Give up.”

He called for more crews to help get the man out of the water.

“He’s trying to swim down the river. He’s probably going to get hypothermic soon,” the officer reported. “We definitely need the squad out here. He’s having trouble swimming. He’s going underwater. If anyone has a rope or anything we can throw to him, we’re going to need it. He looks like he’s drowning.”

The man made it a little farther down the river, but police said he continued to struggle in the water. Officers tried to coax him toward the bank.

“Come out here now,” the officer called to the man. “You’re going to die in there, dude. Come on.”

Officers saw him go under the water, police said. They never saw him come back up.

“He’s underwater. We’re going to have to jump in and get him,” one officer can be heard saying in the video.

The video shows officers going into the river, but they couldn’t get to the man. They then lost sight of him.

“I can’t see him anymore. I don’t see him,” the pursuing officer said.

Police say they brought in rescue boats, the county dive team and air units, but they didn’t find the motorcyclist Monday.

They were back out on the water Tuesday to continue the search. The Kalamazoo County Water Safety and Recovery Association brought in a boat and kayak to help. The search ended before 6 p.m.; crews had not found the man.

Anyone who may have information about the motorcyclist is asked to call KDPS detectives at 269.337.8139 or Silent Observer at 269.343.2100.

—News 8’s Demetrios Sanders contributed to this report.