MESA COUNTY, Colo. — Crews searching for a missing three-year-old girl found the body of a small child in a drained canal in Mesa County Sunday afternoon.
Authorities began the process Sunday to temporarily drain the Grand Valley Irrigation Canal as part of the search for the girl, named Adelesia, or "Addie Rae".
According to the Mesa County Sheriff's Office, search crews in a helicopter spotted something in the water around 2:15 p.m. Deputies and investigators investigated further and found the body of a small child in the canal near 29 Road matching the description of Adelesia.
The Mesa County Coroner’s Office is working to identify the body and will release their name once next-of-kin is notified.
The sheriff's office said the girl was last seen at 6 p.m. Saturday at a residence on Orchard Avenue between 29 1/2 Road and 30 Road, near Grand Junction.
Deputies, family members and members of Mesa County Search and Rescue looked for the girl Saturday evening, including the home where Adelesia was last seen and the area that extended several miles around the Grand Valley Irrigation Canal. Deputies searched near the canal and found evidence that Adelesia had been there, a previous news release said.
The sheriff's office said in an earlier press release about the missing girl that she was wearing a tan shirt with an orange fox on it, and orange and blue pants. Officials said it was believed that she wandered off.
The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office is still seeking any video that may help investigators understand the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. If you have information, please call non-emergency dispatch at (970) 242-6707.
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