CALPINE - Last Thursday, the Mountain Messenger reported on the two week-long search and rescue operation being conducted across the northern Sierra Nevada by local, state and federal authorities. This week, we bring the unfortunate conclusion of this search, concluded shortly after the publication of our last article.

As our readers will recall, 16 year old Truckee Charter High graduate and prospective college freshman Kiely Rodni went missing in the early hours of August 6th after attending a college send-off party of almost 200 people from places along the I-80 corridor and surrounding areas such as Auburn, Rocklin, Truckee, Reno, Carson City and South Lake Tahoe. The case was treated as an abduction and almost 300 investigators combed the northern Sierra, checking security cameras, roadways and the bottoms of Donner Lake and Boca Reservoir.

On Saturday, August 20th, Oregon-based search and rescue company Adventures with Purpose claimed to have found Rodni’s vehicle submerged in Prosser Reservoir in 14 feet of water, not far from the campground where the party took place. However, there was no positive identification given until a press conference on Tuesday morning, where the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office and associated agencies confirmed the deceased individual found in the vehicle was indeed Rodni.

Rodni’s family issued a statement following the press conference. "While we accept this sadness cast under death’s shadow, the rising sun shines light upon us, reminding us not to mourn our loss, but to celebrate Kiely’s spirit and the gift that we all received in knowing her," the family said in the statement. “Kiely will surely remain with us even though we will not get her back." The cause of death is currently under investigation by local and state authorities as a traffic fatality while toxicology reports from Rodni’s autopsy have yet to be confirmed.

We here at The Mountain Messenger offer our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Kiely Rodni in the wake of this tragic accident.