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49 Years Later, Remains of Nevada Man Who Drowned in Lake Mead Identified by Coroner’s Office

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Key takeaways:

  • The Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner identified the remains as belonging to Donald Smith, a Las Vegas resident who reportedly drowned in April 1974.
  • DNA analysis was used to identify the remains, and the death has been ruled an accident.
  • Smith was 39 years old when he drowned in the reservoir in April 1974, and his remains were found nearly five decades later, providing closure to his family and friends.

After a diver found a human bone near the shore of Lake Mead in October, officials have identified the remains as belonging to a Nevada man who drowned nearly 49 years ago.

The Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner announced Tuesday that medical examiners determined the remains belong to Donald Smith, a Las Vegas resident who reportedly drowned in April 1974. DNA analysis was used to identify the remains, and the death has been ruled an accident.

The diver who found the bone in Lake Mead’s National Recreation Area’s Callville Bay on October 17 prompted a search by a park dive team that uncovered more. The coroner’s office in Clark County confirmed that the skeletal remains were identified as Donald Smith.

Smith was 39 years old when he drowned in the reservoir in April 1974. His remains were found nearly five decades later, providing closure to his family and friends.

The Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner said in a statement that they are “grateful to have been able to provide closure to the family of Donald Smith.”

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