Private divers likely found body of missing California teen
Adventures with Purpose investigator Doug Bishop and diver Nick Rinn joined 'America's Newsroom' to discuss how the team was able to locate the body officials say is likely to be 16-year-old Kiely Rodni.
A volunteer dive group credited sonar technology for quickly locating the likely remains of missing California 16-year-old Kiely Rodni after officials searched the area where she disappeared for weeks.
Adventures with Purpose investigator Doug Bishop and diver Nick Rinn joined "America's Newsroom" to discuss the operation and how they were able to locate the body in the Prosser Creek Reservoir.
"We've developed a unique skill set over the years here with cold cases… and we use those tactics in this particular case," Bishop told co-host Dana Perino. "We specialize in sonar, particularly in discovering vehicles underwater… linked to missing persons cases."
"That's what we bring to the table," he continued. "We bring specialty sonar skills to the table, and that was the difference maker in this case here."
Kiely Rodni was last seen at a rural campground near the border of California and Nevada around 12:30 a.m. Saturday, according to local authorities. (findkiely.com)
Rinn, one of the volunteer divers on the team, said he saw something that resembled the missing vehicle they were looking for, and that's when he knew he needed to spring into action.
"I put my dive gear on, got in the water, and swam out to it and went down and pretty much within five seconds I recognized that it was the missing vehicle we were looking for," Rinn recalled. "It was upside down and about 14 feet of water. I was at the rear of the vehicle and saw the license plate and instantly right away knew that was the vehicle we were looking for."
After diving into the water, he confirmed it was indeed the missing 2013 silver Honda CRV. After doing a 360-degree assessment, he also discovered human remains.
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It was then that Bishop contacted local police and Rodni's family about the team's discovery.
"We're a vessel of the community… and if everyone doesn't support our social media platforms, YouTube, Facebook, subscribing and watching, what we do wouldn't be possible," Bishop said. "There's 600,000 people that go missing every year and… our purpose is to be a voice for the voiceless and fight for those who can no longer fight for themselves."
Rodni went missing earlier this month after attending a summer party at Prosser Family Campground, and although officials are confident the remains are hers, it could be weeks before toxicology can confirm.
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