More human remains found at Lake Mead

BOULDER CITY, Nev. (KLAS) – Less than a week after boaters found a body in a barrel along the water’s edge, additional human remains have been found at the drought-stricken Lake Mead.

National Park Service rangers responded to a call on Saturday that human skeletal remains were discovered at Callville Bay in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The Clark County Medical Examiner has reportedly been contacted to determine the cause of death.

As it stands, there are no signs of foul play, sources tell Nexstar’s KLAS.

This investigation is currently ongoing.

On May 1, boaters found a body concealed in a barrel near a Lake Mead harbor. The barrel looked to have been stuck in the mud and may have been exposed due to low water levels.

“We were docking our boat to go home and heard a woman scream,” witness Shawna Hollister said. “My husband walked over and found the body. His shirt and belt were the only thing we could see over his decomposing bones.”

Police suspect the person in the barrel, believed to be a man, was murdered in the late 1970s or 1980s. The location where the barrel was discovered was a half-mile out from shore when police suspect the murder victim was dumped, officials say. The lake was experiencing record-high levels around that time.

The coroner’s office is still working to identify the remains. Police say they’ve received “several dozen” tips about the remains, and are still taking information from the community.

A KLAS news team found a second barrel shortly after the first barrel was found, but investigators determined it was empty.

Two retired Las Vegas Police officers are now offering a reward for divers who find additional bodies in Lake Mead. They say they’ll offer $5,000 for any additional remains.

The ongoing severe drought is leading to other unfortunate discoveries in the water. Last month, the top of a water intake pipe became visible above the water’s surface due to the lake level dropping.

Lake Mead recently dropped below 1,056 feet in elevation. Lake levels are expressed in altitude, not depth.

At its highest levels, the lake is near 1,225 feet.