A barrel containing human remains was discovered Sunday by boaters at Lake Mead just outside of Las Vegas.
Boaters reportedly spotted the barrel Sunday afternoon and notified the National Park Service, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Rangers searched the area near the Hemenway Harbor on the lake’s western shore and uncovered the barrel, the AP continued.
It is believed that the barrel was stuck in the mud along the lake shore, and was only revealed by low water levels due to ongoing drought conditions throughout the western U.S., the AP reported.
“We were docking our boat to go home and heard a woman scream,” witness Shawna Hollister told KLAS-TV. “My husband walked over and found the body. His shirt and belt were the only thing we could see over his decomposing bones.”
Authorities arrived and confirmed that the barrel contained human remains, but the person’s identity has yet to be confirmed by the Clark County coroner’s office, the AP reported. The National Park Service is working with Las Vegas Metro police to fully recover the remains, KLAS-TV noted.
With the lake level dropping at Lake Mead, bodies are showing up….this could get interesting….🤔 pic.twitter.com/Yw02aWgrBJ
— Troy Warren (@chvyrod) May 2, 2022
Photographs of the barrel and body were shared by news organizations and posted to Twitter, showing how the exterior of the barrel appears to have worn away. Though not confirmed, the barrel looks like an oil drum, and the body appears to be crouched inside.