Less than a week after a body was found at Lake Mead, the country’s largest reservoir, more remains were found over the weekend.
On Saturday, a call was made to the National Park Service rangers, which reported the spotting of a second set of human remains found in Callville Bay. The Clark County Medical Examiner claimed that there is “no further information is available at this time” regarding the cause of death or the victim’s identity.
The first body was discovered on May 1 and determined to be a murder victim who died from a gunshot wound based on the autopsy. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police revealed that the victim died “sometime in the mid-’70s to early ’80s, based on clothing and footwear the victim was found with.”
“The lake has drained dramatically over the last 15 years,” Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Homicide Lieutenant Ray Spencer said. “It’s likely that we will find additional bodies that have been dumped in Lake Mead.”
Due to climate change-fueled megadrought, water levels have fallen at a startling rate. Lake Mead’s water level is now around 1,052 feet above sea level, about 162 feet below its 2000 level, its lowest level on record since it was filled in the 1930s.
In light of this coming crisis, federal officials have announced that they will step up in keeping more water in the reservoir.
“We have never taken this step before, but the potential risk on the horizon demands prompt action,” Assistant Secretary of Water and Science Tanya Trujillo told reporters. “We need to work together to stabilize the reservoir before we face a larger crisis.”
