Lake Mead Dead Bodies: 1 of 3 Human Remains Identified as Man Who Drowned in 2002

The remains of the body that were recovered in Lake Mead have already been identified, and it turns out to be someone who died two decades ago.

Recoveries from the Nevada lake have been quite popular recently because of the catastrophic droughts affecting the nation's largest water reservoir.

Last May, Lake Mead revealed three new sets of human remains, the one being matched today with an identity already.

Lake Mead Dead Body's Identity Revealed

One of the three bodies that were recovered from Lake Mead last May has already been identified by the authorities as Thomas Erndt, a man who is believed to have died by drowning in Nevada in 2002.

Floating around Lake Mead for two decades, it was only until May 7 when Erndt's remains were found in the lake's Callville Bay area along with two other unidentified bodies.

Per a Press Release from the Clark County Office of Communications & Strategy, Erndt was 42 years old at the time and drowned at Lake Mead on August 2, 2002.

Although Erndt was identified through rigorous DNA analysis, investigative information, and reports from previous incidents, the Medical Examiner's office could still not determine Erndt's cause of death or how he drowned.

According to CNN, it has been challenging to identify the human remains found in Lake Mead because of the "advance stages of decomposition." Because of this, DNA extraction, which is a way to identify the body, is now more difficult.

Clark County Coroner Melanie Rouse affirmed the sentiment. They used fingerprinting, X-rays, forensic dentistry, and even forensic anthropologists' analyses to identify the bodies found.

Meanwhile, the other body found in a barrel at the Lake in Hemenway Harbor was ruled to be a homicide case because of the gunshot found in the victim's body. Police have placed the individual's death at around the late '70s to '80s because of its shoes and clothes, which the freshwater preserved.

The other one found in Swim Beach is not yet determined because only partial remains have recovered.

Experts Express Worry on Lake Mead Plummeting Water Levels

Over the past few days, authorities have reported that the water levels in Lake Mead are increasing. However, this does not erase the fact that it has been on a steep decline since the start of the year.

Data show that Lake Mead's current water level is at 1,043.54 Feet MSL, higher than July 27's 1,040.71 Feet MSL.

State Senior Climate Advisor to Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak Kristen Averyt described the current atmosphere to be "getting thirstier."

"There's multiple things that we really need to consider in terms of water use. But climate change, it really is kind of the gorilla in the room in terms of changing the balance in terms of water and what we need," she said in a statement.

Considered the country's largest water reservoir, Lake Mead supplies over 25 million Americans in Nevada, Arizona, California, and Mexico.

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Written by: Ivan Korrs

WATCH: Clark County Coroner identifies human remains discovered at Lake Mead - From 8 NOW News Las Vegas