Apparent human remains found in US reservoir as water levels hit record lowThe skeletal remains in Lake Mead include what appears to be a human jaw with teeth attached, a witness says.5 hrs agoUS & Canada

Apparent human remains discovered in US reservoir as water levels hit record low.

Key points

• The US National Park Service remarked it received reports of apparent skeletal remains at Boulder Beach on Lake Mead, Nevada, on 16 August.
• In Hungary, the bodies of two World War Two German soldiers were recovered from the Danube River in Budapest earlier this month.
• Other remnants of World War Two have appeared in the Danube lately, including a broken-up hull near Prahovo in Serbia.
• Her friend Noel De Leon suggested the low water levels at Lake Mead contributed to the recovery of the potential human remains.
• The reservoir is in Clark County, most of which is in moderate drought, according to the US Drought Monitor.

As an ongoing drought causes water levels to drop throughout western states, potential human remains, including a jaw with teeth still attached, have been recovered from the largest reservoir in the US, authorities stated.

Meanwhile, the US National Park Service remarked it received reports of apparent skeletal remains at Boulder Beach on Lake Mead, Nevada, on 16 August.

"National Park Service rangers and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department responded to the scene, " the service remarked in an official note seen by the BBC's US partner CBS.

Meanwhile, the service continued that the incident "remains under investigation, and no additional information is available at this time". Key US reservoir dips to record low. Drought-stricken US cautioned of looming 'dead pool'.

Meanwhile, a woman and her friend spotted the bones while visiting the Nevada side of the reservoir. It is located on the border with Arizona.

Dianelis Molina Cruz informed CBS affiliate KLAS: "My friend was playing with the rocks in the lake, and then he grabbed the jaw. And when he looked, he saw the teeth and everything."

"The water looks very low compared to where it should be, " he remarked. "As the water goes down, the skeletons come up."

Water levels at Lake Mead. It is the largest reservoir in the US, have been declining since 2000.

According to The US Bureau of Reclamation, water levels at the reservoir dropped to 1, 040ft (316m) above sea level last week – considerably below the previous record low set in July 2022.

Notably, the reservoir is in Clark County, most of which is in moderate drought, according to the US Drought Monitor.

Droughts have been worsening over recent years, something scientists say is being driven by climate change.

Persistent hot summer weather has been causing water levels to drop in rivers and lakes in a number of countries – leading to unexpected discoveries.

In Hungary, the bodies of two World War Two German soldiers were recovered from the Danube River in Budapest earlier this month. Alongside the remains was a largely intact German army Wehrmacht motorcycle.

And in the UK, low water levels at a reservoir in Rutland have uncovered the remains of the village of Nether Hambleton. It was demolished and flooded to create the reservoir.

In short, apparent human remains found in US reservoir as water levels hit record is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.