Residents of the Hillsmere Shores community in Annapolis discovered a man’s body in Duvall Creek near a kayak launch Sunday, prompting a police investigation.

Maryland Natural Resources Police and Anne Arundel County firefighters recovered the 51-year-old Annapolis man, whose backpack and other belongings were found on shore.

“I think we’re all just puzzled and we wish we knew more,” said Colleen Foley, who lives near the kayak launch.

Foley described neighbors as heartbroken.

“It’s just so sad, and the fact that I live directly across the street, it bothered me a lot, just feeling really bad for this man and what he must have been going through. I don’t know all the details yet, but it doesn’t sound good,” Foley said.

Natural Resources Police are investigating the man’s death.

An autopsy is scheduled to be conducted at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore.

This is not the first body pulled from local waterways this year.

In April, a body resembling that of an adult man was found in the water near the Truxtun Park boat ramp. The Annapolis harbormaster discovered the body, according to the Annapolis Police Department.

Truxtun Park boat ramp is located on Spa Creek. It’s one of two boat launching ramps in Annapolis.

In July, a man’s body was found in a submerged van in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor near the National Aquarium.

According to police, the van had been missing from Waldorf since 2014. The van had a logo for the Silver Taxi Cab Service in Waldorf.

Based on the condition of the vehicle and the body, police estimate that it was submerged for several years.

WJZ is a media partner with The Baltimore Banner.