A wanted man led law enforcement on a pursuit Monday night and then shot himself before being apprehended, Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir said.

Sheriff’s deputies attempted to stop a vehicle with the suspect inside at about 11 p.m. in the vicinity of 5th and Odell St. in Great Bend.

“The vehicle fled south on Washington Street, crossed over the flood control dike and entered the riverbed,” Bellendir stated in a press release Tuesday morning. The vehicle continued about half a mile west and became disabled.

“The driver exited the vehicle with the firearm. The suspect then entered the Arkansas River and shot himself. The suspect disappeared into deep, fast-moving water.”

The sheriff said that emergency personnel had not been able to locate the body as of 9 a.m. Tuesday. The Sheriff’s Office has contacted Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Kansas Highway Patrol and the Great Bend Fire Department swift water rescue team for assistance.

His body was recovered around 10:45 a.m. Tuesday.