BERKELEY TOWNSHIP -- A 26-year-old Barnegat man was shot and killed by his friend while they were hunting in Berkeley Township Saturday morning, officials said.

Police received a 9-1-1 call around 8:45 a.m. reporting a man was shot while hunting and found the victim's body in a wooded area of Locker Street, according to Ocean County Prosecutor's Office spokesman Al Della Fave. The victim, who authorities did not publicly identify, was pronounced dead shortly after 9 a.m.

A preliminary investigation found the victim was out hunting with his father and two friends, the spokesman said. One of the friends, a 41-year-old man from Forked River, fired his shotgun while hunting, but hit the 26-year-old man.

After he heard the shot, the victim's father immediately attempted to help and police were called, according to Della Fave, who said there was no other information available to release Saturday.

An investigation was ongoing involving the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office and Berkeley Township Police.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc and on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.