The body was discovered at about 12:15 p.m. by an employee of the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority during a routine inspection of the Check 12 control structure just north of Butts Road.
Merced County Sheriff's Major Crimes Unit Detective Sgt. Jason Goins estimated the body had been in the water several weeks.
Although Goins did not know how the body came to be in the canal, he said inquiries would be made of other agencies to find out if the male may have been involved in the Westley accident.
"We will be in contact with the Stanislaus County CHP to see if this person's description matches what they've got from the Nov. 22 accident," he said.
Dimas Ornelas, 15, is the only one of five people involved in the accident who has yet to be accounted for. Ismael Hernandez, 31, Martin Albores, 28, and Alicia Garcia, 17, drowned when the van they were in went into the canal. Miguel Ornelas, 17, swam safely to shore.
A water authority representative at the scene of the recovery said the traffic accident occurred about 30 miles upstream of where the body was discovered.
Although there are other control structures between the accident site and Check 12, he said it was possible for a body in the water to pass through those structures and wind up here.
The Delta-Mendota Canal conveys water used primarily for irrigation from the Sacramento river delta south 109 miles to the Mendota pool which is near the city of the same name.
Merced County Sheriff's dive team members retrieved the body from where it had become lodged in the control structure.
Goins said the body would be sent to the Merced County Coroner's facility for identification.
