GARLAND COUNTY, Ark. – Deputies with the Garland County Sheriff’s Office found a car with skeletal remains in it at the bottom of Lake Hamilton that has a connection to a 15-year-old missing person case.

On Feb. 22, Garland County deputies said they got a call from a local fisherman about a possible sunken car in Lake Hamilton near the 800 block of Lakeland Drive. When deputies arrived on Feb. 28 with Arkansas Game and Fish officials, they confirmed what was at the bottom of the lake was a car.

Authorities and divers returned to the sunken car on Mar. 3, finding skeletal remains inside. All responding agencies were able to eventually pull the car up from the water on Mar. 4.

Investigators recovered the remains from the car and identified the vehicle as a 2003 Grey Ford Escape. They said they eventually identified the car using the vehicle identification number, discovering that it was associated with a missing person’s report filed with the Hot Springs Police Department in February of 2008.

Officials said that the Garland County Sheriff’s Office and the Hot Springs Police Department are cooperating in the investigation. The remains were sent to the State of Arkansas Crime Lab.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact the Garland County Investigation Division at 501-622-2967.