Las Vegas

Authorities ID One Set of Remains Found in Receding Lake Mead, 20 Years After Man's Death

The remains found May 7 were identified as those of Thomas Erndt who was reported to have drowned Aug. 2, 2002, officials said.

FILE - Lake Mead with low water levels.
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Skeletal remains found in drought-stricken Lake Mead in May have been identified as those of a 42-year-old man who was reported to have drowned two decades ago, a coroner has found.

The remains found May 7 at Callville Bay are one of several discoveries made since May 1 as the water level of the nation’s largest reservoir has fallen to historic lows.

The Clark County coroner/medical examiner identified the remains found at Callville Bay as those of Thomas Erndt, of Las Vegas, county spokesman Dan Kulin said.

Erndt was reported to have drowned Aug. 2, 2002, he said.

“The identification was based on investigative information, DNA analysis and reports from the original incident,” Kulin said in a statement. “The cause and manner of Mr. Erndt’s death is undetermined.”

Read the full story at NBCNews.com.

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