The historic drought in the western United States has its share of surprises: a skeleton dating back to the 1980s has been found on the dry shore of Lake Mead, a man-made lake near Las Vegas and the largest water reservoir from the country.
Its level has considerably decreased under the effect of a chronic drought.
The body was found Sunday by boaters in a rusty can trapped in the mud.
According to the police, other macabre discoveries could follow.
The victim not yet identified
Based on personal effects found in the cask with the body, Las Vegas police believe the person died in the 1980s. were revealed by the investigators, who have yet to identify the victim.
“This is coming across as a very difficult case,” Lt. Ray Spencer of the local police told the 8newsnow.com news site.
“I would say that there is a very high chance that we will discover new human remains as the water level goes down,” he warned.
Lake level lowest since 1937
The western United States has been plagued for several years by a historic drought which threatens the water supply of a large part of the population and has caused the level of lakes and rivers to drop dramatically.
Fed by the Colorado River, Lake Mead, a gigantic reservoir attached to the Hoover Dam, has thus reached its lowest level since 1937.
According to a study published in 2020 by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the flow of the Colorado has dropped by an average of 20% over the past century, and at least half of this drop can be attributed to rising temperatures in the area.
World
United States: Bones discovered in the car of a student who has been missing for 45 years
Planet
United States: Fires break out in Colorado, thousands of people evacuated
World
UNITED STATES
Miscellaneous facts
Drought
las vegas