The identification of bones found in May on the receding shoreline of Lake Mead has resurfaced family memories of a 42-year-old Las Vegas father believed to have drowned 20 years ago.
Thomas Erndt's son, also named Tom Erndt, told KSNV-TV in Las Vegas that his father began to struggle after jumping into the water during a nighttime family boat outing late Aug. 2, 2002. The younger Tom Erndt said he was 10 at the time.
A statement from Coroner Melanie Rouse said investigators used DNA and reports of Erndt's disappearance for the identification. An official cause and manner of death were not determined. That discovery prompted speculation about watery graves and renewed interest in the lore of organized crime in early years of casino development on the Las Vegas Strip -- about a 30-minute drive from the lake.
The water level at Lake Mead has dropped more than 170 feet since it was full in 1983, putting the reservoir today at less than 30 per cent of capacity.
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