Authorities have reported that a mother from California and her 8-month-old daughter were discovered dead inside their car, which had submerged in a canal.
The bodies were identified in a 2006 Chevrolet Trail Blazer, found in San Joaquin County on Sunday. The 36-year-old mother, Whisper Owen, and her daughter, Sandra McCarty, were last seen together before their disappearance.
Owen’s phone last pinged near the canal area, as reported by her parents, which led authorities to search that location.
Relatives mentioned that the bodies of Owen and Sandra were found trapped under the bridge in the vehicle.
The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, alongside the Coroner’s Office, is currently working to confirm the identities of the deceased through DNA testing.
As noted by CBS Sacramento, Fan Heredia, a diver with a search group, was looking for the missing mother and daughter in the West Oakdale area.
Owen and Sandra were reported missing on July 15 after they left a doctor’s appointment and were heading to Elk Grove.
The last location for their vehicle was noted in Atwater, just northwest of Fresno. Law enforcement indicated that the SUV had significant damage on the driver’s side.
While Owen’s partner waited at home with their two other children, the family only realized the pair was missing after a few days of no contact. Initially, no one suspected something was wrong as it was common for Owen to spend extended periods visiting family.
This heartbreaking news has deeply affected family and friends, who now grapple with the loss. “It means we can move forward and find some way to accept this loss. She has other children who have to find a way to go ahead without a mother or baby sister,” Whisper’s brother, Richard Owen, shared following the tragic discovery.
Friends have described Owen as a “loving” and “focused” mother. The California Highway Patrol is investigating how the vehicle came to be submerged in the canal, while detectives from Fresno Police have also been assigned to the case.
