Body found in barrel by boaters at drought-starved Lake Mead: authorities

A barrel containing decomposing human stays was found by boaters at Lake Mead in Nevada, authorities mentioned Monday.

The macabre discover was made by a park-goer Sunday afternoon at Lake Mead Nationwide Recreation Space close to Hemenway Harbor in Boulder Metropolis, the Nationwide Park Service advised The Submit.

Park rangers then responded to the realm and arrange a fringe. The federal company’s Investigative Service Department is now working with Las Vegas police in an ongoing probe.

“No additional info is accessible right now,” the park service mentioned in an announcement.

The Clark County Coroner’s Workplace will decide the individual’s explanation for demise.

The barrel appeared to have been caught in mud and will have been uncovered because of low water ranges amid an ongoing drought, KLAS reported.

The barrel was caught within the mud, when it was found.

Shawna Elizabeth Hollister

It's unclear how lengthy the physique had been contained in the barrel.

Shawna Elizabeth Hollister

“We had been docking our boat to go dwelling and heard a girl scream,” witness Shawna Hollister advised the station. “My husband walked over and located the physique. His shirt and belt had been the one factor we might see over his decomposing bones.”

A message searching for remark from Las Vegas police was not instantly returned Monday afternoon.

It’s unclear how lengthy the physique had been on the receding shoreline, KSNV reported.

Park rangers blocked off the realm for additional investigation.

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The drought-starved Lake Mead — created by the development of the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River — is the nation’s largest artifical reservoir and has greater than 750 miles of shoreline in Nevada and Arizona, in accordance with the Nationwide Park Service.