Stillwater police are investigating the death of a young man whose body was found Saturday in a pond near a city golf course after an apparent scooter accident.

Officers were called around 8:15 a.m. on a report of a body floating by a bridge crossing at Browns Creek Trail near Oak Glen Golf Course in Stillwater. The victim appeared to be in his late teens or early 20s, said Sgt. Jeff Stender.

A motorized scooter lay nearby in the weeds.

"It appears the scooter went off the road and impacted into the bank," Stender said. "Everything points to an accidental [manner of death] at this point."

It's unclear when the crash occurred, but police said passersby saw the unoccupied moped in the area around 7:30 a.m. Saturday. The driver probably was traveling at the highest speeds the scooter allowed, Stender said.

The Ramsey County medical examiner will release the man's identity after performing an autopsy.

Liz Sawyer