A second set of human remains has been found at Lake Mead, just days after a body was discovered inside a rusted barrel on the reservoir’s shore, as water levels drop to record lows amid extreme drought, according to U.S. Drought Monitor.
Earlier this month, boaters discovered the decomposed body of a man in a barrel on a newly exposed stretch of shoreline. Las Vegas police told The Associated Press the man probably died more than 40 years ago, based on clothing and shoes found inside the barrel, and appears to have been shot. The death is currently being investigated as a homicide.
Just days later, a second set of human remains was found at Lake Mead National Recreation Area, roughly 9 miles away from the first grim discovery. The Clark County Medical Examiner has not yet determined the cause of death and an investigation is ongoing, according to a statement by the National Park Service.
Authorities predict more of the lake’s dark secrets will come to light as prolonged drought continues to deplete the massive reservoir. Authorities report that both Lake Powell and Lake Mead have been “declining rapidly during the course of this drought, and Lake Mead is now at its lowest level since it filled.”
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