Weeks of searching ended in sorrow when a missing Northern California mother and her infant daughter were found inside a submerged vehicle. Authorities confirmed that 27-year-old Whisper Owens and her eight-month-old daughter, Sandra McCarthy, were discovered on August 17, 2025. Their 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer was located underwater in a canal beneath a bridge on Highway 120 near Oakdale.
Search teams, guided by sonar equipment, recovered the vehicle more than a month after the pair had vanished. Whisper and Sandra had been missing since July 15, when she drove to Fresno for a doctor’s appointment and to visit family. She was expected to return home to Sacramento later that evening but never arrived.
In the days that followed, relatives grew increasingly concerned, and police eventually traced her phone signal near the canal, leading investigators to the spot where the SUV was ultimately found.
Family members described Whisper as a loving mother of four who would never have chosen to disappear. Her brother, Richard Owens, spoke of the family’s grief, reflecting on the loss of both his sister and a baby who never had the chance to grow up. Despite their deep sadness, he said the family was grateful to the search teams and community members who worked tirelessly to help bring them answers.
While the circumstances of how the vehicle ended up in the water remain unclear, authorities are continuing their investigation. For the family, the discovery ends weeks of uncertainty but begins a long process of mourning, as they remember a devoted mother and her baby girl who were deeply loved and will be profoundly missed.