A month-long search for a California mother and her eight-month-old daughter has ended in tragedy after they were found dead in their submerged SUV, search teams confirmed on Sunday.
Whisper Owen, 36, and her daughter, Sandra McCarty, went missing on July 15 after Owen drove from Sacramento to Fresno for a doctor’s appointment and to visit family. She was last seen leaving Fresno that evening to return home but never arrived.
The pair were discovered inside their 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer, submerged in a canal under a bridge on Highway 120 near Oakdale, California. The vehicle was located by volunteer search group Adventures with Purpose using sonar technology.
Evidence suggests Owen made a desperate attempt to save her daughter. “It appears as though Whisper was making her way to the backseat to save her daughter, Sandra,” said Jared Leisek of Adventures with Purpose.
The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office confirmed one adult and one infant were found in the vehicle. The Fresno Police Department and California Highway Patrol are investigating how the car ended up in the water.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family with funeral costs. Whisper’s brother, Richard Owen, described them as “beautiful people who made a very big difference in this world.”
