The Moffat County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a 18-month-old child in the county following a search for a 36-year-old female and her two young children Thursday morning in the unincorporated area of Moffat County near County Road 54.

Around 8 a.m. Thursday, the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a suspicious vehicle near County Road 54, a road that is not frequently traveled during wintertime.

Deputies were dispatched to the area and observed the vehicle on a service road south of County Road 54. The vehicle was unoccupied and appeared to be stuck in the mud and snow on the side of the road, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office.

The former occupants couldn’t immediately be found. The vehicle was registered to 36-year-old Kaylee Messerly, who had not been seen in a few days, along with her 3-year-old and 18-month-old daughters.

Following the initial search, personnel and resources were immediately mobilized to search the area. Those resources included the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office, Moffat County Search & Rescue and an aerial resource provided by Mountain Air Spray, according to to Sheriff KC Hume.

Messerly and her 3-year-old were found alive but suffering from environmental exposure injuries. Messerly’s 18-month-old daughter was found deceased.

Messerly and her 3-year-old were immediately transported by tracked UTV from the scene to an awaiting Memorial Regional Health EMS ambulance, and were then transported to Memorial Regional Heath in Craig by ground.

The incident is currently under investigation, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office. The results of the investigation will be reviewed jointly with the 14th Judicial District Attorneys Office, prior to the consideration of filling formal criminal charges.

jcarney@craigdailypress.com