Human remains recovered from Lake Powell in Kane County

Human remains discovered at Lake Powell earlier this month have been recovered and sent to the Utah State Medical Examiner’s Office for possible identification, according to the Kane County Sheriff’s Office.

Low water levels are visible around Halls Crossing Marina on Lake Powell in May 2026. Human remains discovered August 14 in the Kane County portion of the reservoir remain unidentified. Authorities have not indicated whether declining lake levels played a role in the discovery. Photo courtesy National Park Service.

Kane County Sheriff’s Dispatch was notified Friday, August 14, after a group aboard a houseboat discovered what appeared to be human remains in the Kane County portion of Lake Powell.

Investigators from the sheriff’s office responded along with National Park Service rangers and collected the remains. They were transported to the state medical examiner for an autopsy and possible identification.

As of Sunday, August 23, authorities had not released the identity of the person or additional information about the circumstances surrounding the death. The sheriff’s office has also not disclosed a more specific location where the remains were found.

“The case is still under investigation in hopes of finding the identification of the person to provide closure to the family,” the sheriff’s office said in an August 20 statement.

The discovery comes as Lake Powell is experiencing historically low water levels. However, authorities have not indicated whether declining reservoir levels played any role in the discovery of the remains.

The Kane County Sheriff’s Office said the National Park Service, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and Utah State Medical Examiner’s Office are assisting with the investigation.

The sheriff’s office said no additional information was available as of Sunday.