A man drowned in a Maple Grove lake early Friday after ditching his car and entering the water to try to flee police who were pursuing him.

The Hennepin County Water Patrol found the man's body in Cedar Island Lake around 5 a.m., authorities said. His name has not been released.

The incident began hours earlier, when officers from the Corcoran and Rogers police departments were working to track down a black sedan involved in suspicious activity. The suspect vehicle sped down Interstate 94 toward County Road 30 in Corcoran, at one point nearly striking a Corcoran police cruiser.

Officers tried unsuccessfully to stop the vehicle, then began pursuing it, said Matt Gottschalk, Corcoran's director of public safety.

The high-speed chase passed through Rogers and Maple Grove until police lost sight of the car. Eventually, a Corcoran officer found the unoccupied vehicle near the 6900 block of Fish Lake Road, by Cedar Island Lake. During a search of the area, police heard two calls for help coming from the lake, Gottschalk said.

Rescue efforts were undertaken by Water Patrol crews, a State Patrol helicopter and the Maple Grove Fire Department, but the man could not be located in time. His body was later found near the area where officers heard the cries for help.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner will release the man's identity and official cause of death.

Liz Sawyer • 612-673-4648