Third set of human remains discovered in rapidly drying lake beds of Lake Mead
On July 25, National Park Service rangers received a witness report of human remains discovered at Swim Beach in Lake Mead National Recreation Area at approximately 4:30 p.m. Rangers immediately went to the site and established a perimeter in an attempt to recover the remains. The Clark County Medical Examiner was contacted and will be responsible for trying to determine the cause of death.
Monday’s gruesome discovery marked the third time since May 2022 that the drying lake beds of the once wondrous Lake Mead have been offering up the remains.
As a severe and ongoing drought caused the water level at Lake Mead — the largest reservoir in the United States, spanning roughly 120 miles between eastern Nevada and western Arizona — to sink to its lowest point in nearly a century, human remains were found near its new shores multiple times this year. ~ CBS News
Back on May 1 at approximately 5:45 p.m., the National Park Service notified the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) of the discovery of a barrel containing human remains at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Detectives from the LVMPD Homicide Section responded and took over the investigation.
“We believe this is a homicide as a result of a gunshot wound,” said Homicide Section Lt. Ray Spencer. Detectives believe the victim was killed sometime in the mid ‘70s to early ‘80s, based on clothing and footwear the victim was found with. Investigators are currently working to identify the victim. This is an ongoing investigation.” ~ Lt. Ray Spencer, LVMPD
One week after the 50-year-old discarded remains of a gunshot victim were discovered in a rusted-out metal barrel at the bottom of Lake Mead, a second set of human remains were found in the dried-up lake beds of the reservoir.
On May 9, those human remains were exposed due to the drying waters and discovered at the bottom of the lake. Rangers with the National Park Service received a report from witnesses about human skeletal remains discovered at Callville Bay in Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The discovery and corresponding report to the Park Service was filed at approximately 2:00 p.m. PST on Saturday, May 7.
Lake Mead, about 40 miles east of Las Vegas, is the largest man-made reservoir in the United States, having been formed by the construction of the Hoover Dam in the 1930s. The lake is also a critical source of water for 25 million people across seven states, including some of the country’s largest agricultural valleys.
The lake’s water level has dropped by nearly 150 feet since 2000 because of “drought and climate change,” according to the Southern Nevada Water Authority. ~ New York Times
For more on the most recent discovery and recovery of human remains from Lake Mead, see the video accompanying this article.
(Cover photo: Image credit / YouTube)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter
