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ELEPHANT BUTTE, N.M. (AP) — The body of a U.S. Air Force member
was recovered from a lake in southern New Mexico on Monday, two
days after the airman assigned to Kirtland Air Force Base went
missing at the popular recreation spot, military authorities
said.
The member of the 351st Special Warfare Training Squadron went
missing at Elephant Butte Lake on Saturday and hasn't been
identified publicly under procedures for notifying next of kin,
said Lt. Daniel Fernandez, a spokesperson for Kirtland.
An investigation into the death was underway by state
authorities overseeing Elephant Butte Lake State Park, a popular
getaway between Albuquerque and El Paso, Texas.
State Parks spokesperson Sidney Hill said there are no
indications of foul play. The body was transferred to the state
Office of the Medical Investigator to determine the cause of
death.
At a boat ramp on the lake Monday, military personnel including
members of the 351st and an Air Force rescue squadron formed two
lines for a dignified transfer of the remains from a boat. The
lake otherwise was busy with Memorial Day revelers.
A long list of agencies participated in the search for the
missing airman, including New Mexico state police, a local fire
department, New Mexico State Park rangers and a team from the
306th Rescue Squadron out of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in
Arizona.
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