Apparent human remains found in US reservoir as water levels hit record low
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Apparent human remains, including a jaw with teeth still attached, have been recovered from the largest reservoir in the US, officials said, as an ongoing drought causes water levels to drop across western states.
The US National Park Service stated they received reports of apparent skeletal remains at Boulder Beach on Lake Mead, Nevada, on 16 August.
"National Park Service rangers and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department responded to the scene," they added in a statement.
The service noted that the incident "remains under investigation, and no additional information is available at this time."
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A woman and her friend spotted the bones while visiting the Nevada side of the reservoir, which is located on the border with Arizona.
Dianelis Molina Cruz described the discovery to CBS affiliate KLAS: "My friend was playing with the rocks in the lake, and then he grabbed the jaw. And when he looked, he saw the teeth and everything."
Her friend Noel De Leon attributed the recovery of the potential human remains to the low water levels at Lake Mead.
"The water looks very low compared to where it should be," he said. "As the water goes down, the skeletons come up."
Water levels at Lake Mead, which is the largest reservoir in the US, have been declining since 2000.
According to the US Bureau of Reclamation, water levels reached a record low last week, dropping to 1,040ft (316m) above sea level.
The reservoir is located in Clark County, much of which is experiencing moderate drought conditions, according to the US Drought Monitor.
Droughts have been worsening in recent years, something scientists say is being driven by climate change.
Persistent hot summer weather has led to a drop in water levels in rivers and lakes across several countries, resulting in unexpected discoveries.
In Hungary, the bodies of two World War Two German soldiers were recovered from the Danube River in Budapest earlier this month, alongside a largely intact German army Wehrmacht motorcycle.
Other remnants of World War Two have been revealed along the Danube recently, including a broken-up hull near Prahovo in Serbia.
And in the UK, low water levels at a reservoir in Rutland uncovered the remains of the village of Nether Hambleton, which was demolished and flooded to create the reservoir.
