Click the arrow below for more coverage of Kiely Rodni, a Northern California teenager who was possibly found by a group of volunteer divers after she had been missing since early August
Update: Authorities say remains found in lake ‘likely’ to be Kiely Rodni’s After a massive two-week search effort by multiple agencies, a volunteer team of divers on Sunday said they had located the vehicle and presumed body of Kiely Rodni, a Northern California teenager who had been missing since early August and was last seen in a large party near Truckee. “The car is upside down in only 14 (feet) of water” in Prosser Creek Reservoir, Adventures with Purpose announced in a Facebook post shortly after 2:30 p.m. “We’ve confirmed that Kiely is in. “Family notification. Law enforcement on their way.” The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office in a social media post shortly after 3:30 p.m. he said he was “aware of this information” and that the deputies were “on their way to meet with Adventures With Purpose.” The agency, along with the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, issued a joint statement shortly after 8 p.m. that officials were still investigating the scene but confirmed that a body had been recovered. “The identity of the deceased has not been confirmed. This is an evolving situation and we will provide updates when we can,” authorities said in a social media post. A news conference about the findings will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, they said.
Lake recovery area near camp
Kiely went missing around 12:30 am. on Aug. 6 after attending a party of between 200 and 300 teenagers and young adults at the Prosser Family Campground, located inside the Tahoe National Forest, according to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office and the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office. Search parties, including volunteers and law enforcement officials over the past two weeks, have mounted a massive search effort for her and her vehicle, a silver Honda CR-V, which also had not been seen since the night of the party. Earlier Sunday, the Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post that personnel had combined for nearly 20,000 hours of search time. Adventures with Purpose is an “underwater sonar search and recovery dive team that helps families locate their missing loved ones underwater,” according to its verified Facebook page. The recovery area was located about a quarter mile south of the main camping area and about 700 feet from a dirt road surrounding the reservoir. As of 8 p.m., law enforcement had not confirmed the discovery of the dive team. Aerial footage from KCRA at sunset showed multiple law enforcement officials and vehicles, as well as a flatbed trailer, on the shore of the campground with a light-colored vehicle submerged in several feet of water.
Light-colored SUV pulled from the water
By 7:45 p.m., the vehicle had been pulled to shore as deputies and other personnel threw a blue tarp over the vehicle, which appeared to be an SUV matching the description of the Honda CR-V Kiely. The vehicle, which had been drained of water, was then placed on a trailer as crews continued to work at the scene and a nearby area of the beach that was cut off with markers. Through a spokesperson, the Rodni family said they were awaiting confirmation from law enforcement. “At this time, the family has no statement regarding the social media rumors as of this afternoon,” Linda Luchetti told the Reno Gazette-Journal. “If and when law enforcement has an answer, we will proceed accordingly.” Placer sheriff’s officials on Aug. 7, the day after she disappeared, released a video showing Kiely’s mother tearfully pleading for the community’s help and her daughter to come home. Detectives investigated the possibility that Kiely had been kidnapped. Placer County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Angela Musallam said that was part of the agency’s protocol because her vehicle was also missing. From local sheriff’s offices to the FBI, authorities received more than 1,800 citizen tips about Kiely’s disappearance, according to a Sunday morning update from Placer authorities. This story was originally published on August 21, 2022 at 3:35 pm. Related stories from the Sacramento Bee Michael McGough anchors the Sacramento Bee’s journalism news team, covering public safety and other local stories. A Sacramento native and Capital City resident, he interned at The Bee while attending Sacramento State, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
