LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Water levels at Lake Mead have been dropping at a record pace these past few months. Visitors are still in awe at the sight of the infamous bathtub ring where the water use to be.
MORE: Lake Mead: What happens if the water levels drop too low?
"One day the bay here is going to be over," said one boater, Andre Berthraume.
If you’ve been out at the Lake recently, you may have noticed that where once was water, is now dry. That’s the danger zone.
"What happens is the sun kind of dries up that top layer. So it looks like it’s crusted over," said Tier 1 SNORR leader Anthony Peterson. "People are just trying to get down to the water. They don’t want to have to carry all of their stuff a half mile to get down there. So they pull up and by the time they realize they are in mud and their starting to sink, it’s too late."
That's where Southern Nevada Off Road Recovery comes in. The non-profit was formed about six years ago, and they say that each year more cases of people being stuck at the lake have popped up. Just this year, they’ve rescued about 400 people. Most of those cases have been at the lake.
Last year they did about 840 rescues. They are already at about half of that, and it’s only May.
"It’s just that it’s happening so quickly. Especially right now over the past several months," said Peterson. "They don’t realize that they’re driving into what used to be the lake, so now they’re in that lake bed. That’s what causing the problems."
They say it’s going to continue to get worse this summer. Because of this, you should plan ahead with water and food.
RELATED: Warning for Lake Mead visitors during Memorial weekend
If you or anyone you know gets stuck, you can contact SNORR, and they will help you get out for free. As a non-profit, the organizations accepts donations.
