Yet another set of human remains were found at Lake Mead Monday as the reservoir’s water levels continue to recede, according to the National Park Service.
In Boulder City, Nevada’s Lake Mead National Recreation Area, park rangers were alerted to the discovery of human remains in the Swim Beach area.
At about 4:30 p.m., park rangers were on the scene and set a perimeter to recover the skeletal remains.
The NPS said that the Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner is assisting with determining the cause of death.
The suspected age of the remains was not released.
Lake Mead Water Levels
A 20-year megadrought has caused the water levels in Lake Mead to recede to historic lows.
Satellite images from NASA show the lake has shrunk to just 27% capacity.
That’s the lowest level since April 1937, when the reservoir was filled.
Lake Mead was created when the Hoover Dam was built in 1935.
Lake Mead is fed by the Colorado River and helps supply water to 25 million people in Arizona, Nevada, California, and parts of Mexico.
The drought drying up the Colorado River and the lake is fueled by climate change and mismanagement of water resources.
Bodies Found Due To Drought
This is at least the third set of remains found in the Lake Mead area since the country’s largest reservoir has started to dry up.
The coroner’s office is continuing work to identify two men already found in the lake. The first, on May 1, was found in a rusted barrel in the Hemenway Harbor area. The second, on May 7, consisted of bones found on a sand bar near Callville Bay, over 9 miles from the marina.
Las Vegas Police have said that those remains are believed to date back to the 1970s or 1980s, and the person was fatally shot.
On July 6, a woman’s body was found near the Boulder Islands, where a woman went missing after falling off her jet ski, Lake Mead officials reported at the time.
The Clark County medical examiner later confirmed it was the woman who went missing.
“The lake has drained dramatically over the last 15 years,” Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Homicide Lt. Ray Spencer said in May.
He added that as water levels continue to decline, other bodies and murder victims will likely be found.
The receding waters also have exposed previously sunken boats, including a World War II-era landing craft.
The lake’s low water level also exposed one of the reservoir’s original water intake valves in April for the first time.
According to the Southern California Water Authority, the valve has been in service since 1971 but can’t draw water anymore.
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The legal team at Alexander Shunnarah Trial Attorneys is dedicated to helping Americans stay up to date on recent news as well as on their rights in personal injury cases. In the cases of these fatalities in this story, wrongful death claims could be made. If you lost a loved one in a boating accident or other circumstances, you may be eligible for compensation. Our empathetic wrongful death attorneys are available for a free consultation.
References:
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/human-remains-found-lake-mead-rcna39967
https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/26/us/lake-mead-body/index.html
https://news.yahoo.com/third-set-human-remains-found-133156653.html