8/23 1:04 PM PT -- 8/23 -- The Placer County Sheriff's Office confirms that the body found inside a submerged vehicle is Kiely Rodni. Cops say they're in contact with her family and that the investigation is ongoing.
Authorities have broken their silence for the first time since a submerged vehicle with a body inside was discovered ... letting the public know they believe it to be Kiely Rodni.
The announcement was made Monday, almost 24 hours after a YouTube search and rescue team first claimed they had located Kiely's vehicle in Prosser Lake, upside down in about 14 feet of water.
Remember ... Dog the Bounty Hunter told us he was getting flooded with tips on Kiely's potential whereabouts, but he was reluctant to dive into the high-profile case as a result of all the backlash he got from the Gabby Petito case.
16-year-old Kiely was last seen alive Aug. 6 near Truckee, CA, where she and about 100 other teens were partying at a campground in the Lake Tahoe region ... and went missing late at night.
Police have not said how Kiely ended up in a car sunk in the lake, or if foul play is suspected.
Originally Published -- 8/22 11:12 AM PT