The body of a missing airman is recovered from a lake in New Mexico
May 26, 2025, 5:30 PM
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.
