NAZARETH, Pa. (AP) – Authorities in eastern Pennsylvania say a body found in a rain-swollen creek has been identified as that of a missing elderly man.

Northampton County Coroner Zachary Lysek said Wednesday night that the body was that of 75-year-old Joseph Novack of Lower Nazareth Township. He said he expected to rule Thursday on the cause and manner of death.

Rescue crews found Novack’s body Wednesday morning in Monocacy Creek, which flows through the county and into the Lehigh River in Bethlehem. His family said he had been clearing debris from the bridge, and his rake was found nearby.

(© 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed)