Third Set Of Human Remains Found At Lake Mead As Water Levels Drop

Las Vegas -- Another set of human remains was found at a beach at Lake Mead in Nevada.

The grim discovery is the third in a series of bodies found since May as the water level in the country’s largest reservoir continues to shrink.

A visitor at the Swim Beach discovered the third body Monday at around 4:30 p.m., according to ABC News. Park rangers arrived at the scene to recover the remains and an investigation is underway, a statement from the National Park Service said.

Clark County coroner, Melanie Rouse, said Tuesday that it is too early to determine the gender or cause of death of the deceased. The body was found partially encased in mud, and it is unclear how long it had remained underwater, Sky News reported.

Records of missing persons will be sieved through to help determine the deceased person’s identity.

The discovery comes in light of the reservoir’s water level plunging to a historic low since 1937, which was the year it was filled for the first time. The reservoir was at just 27% of its capacity last week amid climate change and drought in the Western U.S.

The shrinking water level in the reservoir has resulted in the exposure of human remains, trash, baby strollers, sunken boats and decades-old items, USA TODAY reported.

The first body in Lake Mead discovered in May was found stuffed in a corroded steel barrel and was spotted by boaters. Investigators from the Las Vegas Police Metropolitan Department said the corpse, nearly four decades old, belonged to a man. They believe the man died of a gunshot wound, and his clothing and footwear suggested that he was murdered in the mid-1970s to early 1980s.

“I would say there is a very good chance as the water level drops that we are going to find additional human remains,” Las Vegas Metro police homicide Lt. Ray Spencer told the 8 News Now I-Team at the time.

Following the body’s discovery, Spencer also explained that the barrel with the body may never have been found if not for the sinking water levels. The barrel did not move and did not wash up, Spencer noted.

The second body was found a few days later after a witness came across human remains at Callville Bay in Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Investigations began after rangers from the National Park Service found the skeletal remains.