An inmate at the Rikers Island jail complex who slipped away from at least four guards, climbed a fence and disappeared on Wednesday night was found early Thursday on the island, New York City officials said.

“I would like to thank the men and women of D.O.C., the N.Y.P.D., the Port Authority Police and New York State Police for their time and effort in locating this individual,” Cynthia Brann, the acting commissioner of the New York City Department of Correction, said in a written statement. “Their coordinated actions helped safely return this inmate to custody.”

Officers quickly sealed the perimeter of the island after the escape was discovered, and K-9 units were deployed along with a New York Police Department helicopter to search for the inmate, a burglary suspect identified by one city official briefed on the matter as Naquan Hill, 24.

The city official said that Mr. Hill was among six inmates who were in a recreation yard at the Anna M. Kross Center, one of the nine working jails at Rikers Island. The official said that five of the inmates appeared to distract two guards while Mr. Hill climbed over a perimeter fence.