Lake Mead human remains identified in Nevada

Record drought has revealed bodies and sunken boats in the dried-up reservoir

Authorities in Las Vegas say they have identified human remains found in October 2022 in the shrinking Lake Mead. AP

Officials in Nevada said that skeletal remains found in Lake Mead in October were of a drowned man who went missing almost five decades ago, adding to a growing list of bodies found in the drought-stricken reservoir.

Medical examiners ruled that the remains were of Las Vegas resident Donald Smith who drowned in April 1974.

“The identification was based on DNA analysis and reports from the original incident,” the Clark County coroner said in a release viewed by CNN.

“The cause and manner of Mr Smith’s death was determined to be drowning and accidental."

It was the sixth set of remains found in Lake Mead as water levels continue to recede because of historic drought.

Mr Smith's remains were found by a diver in Callville Bay, which led the National Park Service to conduct a wider search for any other human bones.

Lake Meade previously made worldwide headlines when a body was discovered stuffed in a barrel, which may be a victim of murder.

Those remains are still unidentified as Clark County coroners try to identify the other remains found last year.

A sunken Second World War landing craft was also found. The Higgins landing craft was nearly 61 metres underwater.

The devastating drought in nearby California has improved due to record winter cloud band rains and rare snowfall that hit the state for weeks.