Story highlights The baby girl may have been trapped in the car in the cold river for about 14 hours

Her mother was found dead in the driver's seat

(CNN) When a man went to a Utah river Saturday hoping to haul out fish, he inadvertently saved the life of a baby who had been trapped -- possibly for half a day.

The angler waded into the Spanish Fork River around noon and then noticed a car upside-down in the water, public safety officials said in a statement.

Rescuers arrived and tipped the four-door car onto its side. They found the 18-month-old girl strapped in her car seat, still alive. The baby was taken to a Salt Lake City hospital, where she was in critical condition.

Rescuers also found the body of Lynn Jennifer Groesbeck, the girl's mother, in the driver's seat. She was 25 years old.

A resident nearby told authorities that he had heard a loud crash the night before around 10:30 and stepped outside to check, but saw nothing unusual, police said.

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