42-year-old vanished in Lake Mead 20 years ago. The drought has revealed his remains

A 42-year-old jumped off a boat into Lake Mead 20 years ago and vanished. Drought recently uncovered his remains, officials told news outlets.

Paddleboarders discovered human remains buried in sand at Nevada’s Lake Mead on May 7, McClatchy News reported. The remains were the second set uncovered since May 1 as the reservoir is depleted by drought.

Months later, officials identified the remains as Thomas Erndt, a Las Vegas man who drowned in the reservoir Aug. 2, 2002, according to KLAS.

Erndt was presumed drowned after jumping from a boat and disappearing into the reservoir, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Officials, however, did not determine Erndt’s cause and manner of death, Fox 5 reported.

“The identification was based on investigative information, DNA analysis and reports from the original incident,” Clark County spokesperson Dan Kulin told the Review-Journal in a statement.

At least five sets of human remains have been found in Lake Mead.

The discoveries started May 1 when boaters found a crumbling barrel after hearing a woman scream from the side of the beach. They realized a body was inside.

At the time, officials told news outlets the remains were likely the first of many to be revealed as water levels continue to drop at the reservoir.

“I think anybody can understand there are probably more bodies that have been dumped in Lake Mead,” Las Vegas police Lt. Ray Spencer told KLAS in May. “It’s just a matter of, are we able to recover those?”

Days later, Erndt’s remains were discovered in Callville Bay. Then, two sets of human remains were found weeks apart at Swim Beach.

Officials began investigating each set of human remains as they’ve been discovered. The coroner’s office told news outlets it’s possible human remains found on July 25 and Aug. 6 belonged to the same person, McClatchy News reported.

The process for identifying the remains, however, could take some time. Officials need to collect DNA samples, which could be complicated by the amount of time the remains were in Lake Mead.

Lake Mead is the country’s largest reservoir, according to the National Park Service. It was created by the construction of the Hoover Dam in the 1930s and includes more than 750 miles of shoreline.

The reservoir supplies water to more than 40 million people in seven states and Mexico, according to NASA. It provides water to people in some of the largest cities in the U.S., including San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Los Angeles.

In recent years, however, it’s been shrinking due to a 22-year megadrought.

This story was originally published August 25, 2022 at 8:55 AM with the headline "42-year-old vanished in Lake Mead 20 years ago. The drought has revealed his remains."