Body found on banks of Lehigh River

A body was found Saturday on the banks of the Lehigh River in Freemansburg, police Chief Jonathan Itterly said.

Police were called to investigate about 5:15 p.m., after the body was found near the Main Street overpass. Itterly said the Northampton County coroner was called to the scene.

Police aren’t yet sure of the circumstances surrounding the person’s death. Itterly said the person appeared to have been dead for a while. He said police were not aware of any recent missing persons from the area.

Emergency crews were called to a water recovery, about 300 yards south of the overpass, according to police radio dispatches.

The area was busy with emergency personnel as well as people enjoying a summer Saturday outdoors. As crews prepared to remove the body, kayakers rowed through the river and bicyclists pedaled along the D&L Trail.

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Christina Tatu

Hummer said.

The plane landed at Braden Airpark shortly before 1 p.m. Saturday, where the occupants were eventually met by Secret Service agents from the Philadelphia field office, Hummer said. He was unsure where the couple went from there.

The incident occurred when the couple stopped in New Jersey to fuel up Saturday, unknowingly taking off into restricted airspace. Hummer said the pilot told police he didn’t realize there was any restriction until he was intercepted by an F-16 fighter.

The pilot of the jet flew about 3 miles ahead of the plane and fired flares to get the pilot’s attention.

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Christina Tatu