Human remains found as water levels hit historic low at Lake Mead

As water levels hit a record-low at Lake Mead, authorities found human remains at Lake Mead National Recreation Area on Sunday. 

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Police received a report of the remains just before 4 p.m., which authorities categorized as noncriminal, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police told SFGATE in an emailed statement. The remains were found at Boulder Beach, which is located on the western shore of Lake Mead and outside of Las Vegas, the National Park Service confirmed in an email. 

The Clark County coroner responded to the scene, according to the Park Service, and the case is under investigation. 

Authorities did not provide any additional details. However, a person visiting the lake, Dianelis Molina Cruz, told KLAS-TV that her friend discovered the remains. Her friend reportedly grabbed the jaw, which appeared to have teeth and dental fillings, the news outlet reported. After the discovery, Cruz and her group called authorities, according to KLAS-TV. 

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Human remains have previously been discovered at Lake Mead, often when water levels are extremely low. In 2022, for example, four sets of human remains were found in the area in the span of just a few months, NPR reported. 

Lake Mead, which is the largest reservoir in the country, hit its lowest water level ever of 1,040.4 feet on Aug. 7. Remnants of a ghost town called St. Thomas, a Mormon settlement from the 1800s, also became visible this month, given the falling water levels, the Economic Times Reported. The town was inundated with 60 feet of water in the 1930s following the construction of Hoover Dam.