The Merced County Sheriff’s Office recovered the body of an adult woman from the Delta Mendota Canal on Sunday morning after receiving a report at about 10:15 a.m., authorities said.

Sheriff’s officials said the body was located near Whitworth and Cottonwood roads and was recovered by the agency’s Water Recovery and Rescue Team.

The recovery site is about seven miles from the location of an early-morning accident on Jan. 28 in which four people crashed into the canal while riding an RZR off-road vehicle.

One woman, believed to be Lupita Ontiveros, has been missing since that crash. The California Highway Patrol is investigating the accident, and the Sheriff’s Office has assisted in the search for the missing person.

Authorities said investigators are hopeful the missing woman has been located, but the identity of the deceased has not yet been confirmed.

Positive identification will be conducted by the Merced County Coroner’s Office, and next of kin will be notified before any identifying information is released.

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