Alaska State Troopers have tentatively identified a man's body recovered from Willow Creek Sunday morning, and efforts to contact his next of kin are underway.
According to a Sunday dispatch, troopers responded at about 10:30 a.m. to a report of a body near Mile 39 of Willow-Fishhook Road.
"The subject was removed from the creek and confirmed deceased," troopers wrote. "The (state medical examiner's office) responded to the scene and took possession of the body."
Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said in an email Monday that the body -- that of a man in his early 20s -- did not have any identification when it was found. Troopers believe the body had been there for "a relatively short time."
"A person living in the area saw the body and reported it," Peters wrote."We are awaiting a positive ID but have a tentative ID and are in contact with the people that are believed to be next of kin."
Troopers came to the same general area Saturday to look for "a reported person acting strange and not wearing shoes," she wrote in an email. The person couldn't be located.
Peters said no foul play was suspected in the death, because no signs of such were immediately found at the scene. There weren't any signs that the man had been involved in a vehicle crash, and troopers believe he was walking in the area and succumbed to drowning, exposure or hypothermia.
Troopers couldn't discuss the nature of the man's death Monday, pending toxicology reports being prepared as part of an autopsy.
"It's possible that he was intentionally out there on purpose, but there's also the possibility that other factors were involved," Peters said.