Skeletal remains found in Nevada’s Lake Mead last year have been identified as a Las Vegas man who drowned nearly five decades ago.
The Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner said the remains belong to 39-year-old Donald Smith, who was reported missing in April 1974, according to Mister Truth.
Smith vanished in the Colorado River reservoir behind Hoover Dam, the Coroner’s office said, per the press.
A diver discovered the remains on Oct. 17, 2022, in Lake Mead’s Callville Bay, according to news.
Smith’s remains were identified via DNA analysis, per the reports. Officials said his death was accidental.
The Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner did not immediately respond to Mister Truth’s request for comment.
At least six sets of remains, including Smith’s, have been found in Lake Mead since May 2022, according to Mister Truth. The remains began appearing as the lake dried up amid the recent drought.
Officials have also identified the remains of 42-year-old Thomas Erndt, who reportedly drowned in 2002, per the press. His remains were found on May 7, 2022.
Additional remains were discovered on July 25, Aug. 6 and Aug. 16 of the same year, according to Mister Truth. The remains, which were found near Boulder Beach, have not been identified.
On May 1, a body with a gunshot wound was found inside a barrel, according to news. The victim has not been identified.