It is the first time that forensics have identified one of the five bodies that have been appearing since May in Lake Lead, the largest artificial reservoir in the country, about 40 kilometers from Las Vegas, although it extends through several North American states. is named Thomas Erndt and will have drowned about two decades ago.
The man, who lived in the US state of Las Vegas, he would have been 42 years old when he drowned on August 2, 2002. However, the official cause of death and what exactly happened that day that caused the drowning have not yet been determined, CNN writes, citing a statement issued by local authorities.
A sign indicating Lake Mead water levels on Aug. 19, 2002 (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Erndt’s remains were found in the Callville Bay area on May 7 of this year; it was the second of five bodies that have been discovered since then. The first was a body found inside an already damaged barrel, May 1st. Bullet marks found on the body led Las Vegas police to believe the person was a murder victim. Furthermore, the victim’s clothing and shoes were so well preserved that the tags were still visiblewhich allows us to conclude that this person probably died in the mid-1970s or early 1980s.
A week later, the body turned up, now known to belong to Thomas Erndt. The remaining three appeared on Swim Beach, a lakeside beach: the first was found on July 25, the second on August 6. It is not yet clear if they all belong to the same body or if they are from different people..
The shores of Lake Mead continue to recede dramatically due to drought in the western United States. What is the largest artificial reservoir in the country, about 40 kilometers from Las Vegas, is only 27% of full capacity. The descent of the water is such that it has also exposed previously submerged objects in the lake, such as a sunken ship from World War II and an original water inlet valve in the reservoir, from 1971.
Continuing a 22-year downward trend, water levels in Lake Mead are at their lowest since April 1937, when the reservoir was still being filled for the first time. As of July 18, 2022, Lake Mead was filled to only 27 percent of capacity. https://t.co/qwgabmDJOG pic.twitter.com/iNMbuT5zbh
— NASA Earth (@NASAEarth) July 22, 2022
Authorities believe the cases of human remains found may not stop there. “The lake has dried up drastically in the last 15 years. It’s likely that as the water level goes down, we’ll find more bodies dumped into Lake Mead.Lt. Ray Spencer admitted to CNN. In late July, NASA released satellite images revealing the unprecedented drought in Lake Mead. The water levels reached “Lowest values since April 1937when the tank was still being filled for the first time”, reads the cheep NASA
Source: Observadora
