The body of a 21-year-old man was found in the swimming pool at the Los Angeles home of actress Demi Moore, a spokeswoman for the film star and police said on Sunday.

"I am in absolute shock," Moore said in a statement through a representative. "I was out of the country travelling to meet my daughters for a birthday celebration when I got the devastating news."

"The loss of a child is an unthinkable tragedy and my heart goes out to this young man's family and friends," Moore added.

Los Angeles County coroner Lt. Fred Corral said the man, Edenilson Steven Valle, had gone missing for 10 or 15 minutes before friends found him early Sunday morning floating in the deep end of the pool at the Beverly Crest residence.

Friends and family told authorities he did not know how to swim.

Police and paramedics responded to the home in west Los Angeles after a 911 call at about 5:15 a.m.

The paramedics started CPR, but Valle was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:30 a.m., Corral said.

Sgt. A. Bone of the Los Angeles Police Department told the Los Angeles Times newspaper that Moore was not home at the time, "nor were there any family members associated with the celebrity at the location."

"From what I understand it was a staff member" who had drowned, he said.