Police said a dead man who was found lying facedown in Girtys Run in Shaler this afternoon had no identification with him.

The man, who was in his 50s, was wearing brown shoes, a brown belt and a black and gray Penguins sweatshirt, according to Shaler police Chief Jeff Gally. Customers at the nearby SweetLicks ice cream shop in the 1700 block of Babcock Boulevard discovered him.

"We won't know anything about him until we do an autopsy," the chief said.

Allegheny County Police homicide detectives are helping with the investigation, and the county medical examiner's office is hoping to identify the body via fingerprints.

Chief Gally said the body had some bruises, but police couldn't tell if they were recent. The body had been lying in the creek for at least several hours.

Three customers at the ice cream shop had just ordered foot-long hot dogs when they looked over a railing next to the creek and saw the body, about 17 feet down. His face was in a foot of water.

"I was panicked," said Mary Lou Kramer, the shop's manager, when the customers called her over. "I've never seen anything like that in my life."

One of the customers contacted 911.

Chief Gally said it likely would be at least 24 hours before the medical examiner's office could identify the man.

First Published: June 3, 2008, 6:15 p.m.