Police are asking for the public’s help after a body was found in the backyard of a home along the Lake Ontario shoreline in Mississauga on Monday morning.

Speaking with the media on Monday afternoon, Const. Richard Chin said that a resident near Richey Crescent, just west of Cooksville Creek, contacted them after they thought they saw a person in the water.

Peel Regional Police (PRP) said that they were called to that area just before noon and located an adult in the backyard of a nearby residence. That individual was pronounced deceased at the scene by Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services.

Chin said that the body was not at that location for “very long,” adding they believe it was there anywhere from 24 to 48 hours.

Police are currently working to identify the victim as well as notify next of kin, he said, adding that they are also contacting other police services in the area to see if the victim matches any missing person’s reports or anything of that nature.

The coroner along with Peel police forensic identification services officers are now both at the scene.

“We want to determine exactly what the sequence of events are here,” Chin said.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact 12 Division Criminal Investigation Bureau at 905-453-3311, ext. 1200, or Crime Stoppers anonymously.