After more than a month of searching, the case of a missing Northern California mother and baby ended in tragedy.

On August 17, 2025, authorities found 27-year-old Whisper Owens and her eight-month-old daughter,

Sandra McCarthy, inside their Chevrolet Trailblazer, submerged in a canal beneath a Highway 120 bridge near Oakdale.

Whisper and Sandra were last seen July 15, when she traveled to Fresno for a medical appointment and family visit. She was expected home

in Sacramento that evening but never arrived. Investigators later traced her phone near the canal, leading search teams with sonar to the vehicle.

Family members described Whisper as a loving mother of four who devoted herself to her children. Her brother, Richard Owens,

said the discovery, while heartbreaking, ended weeks of agonizing uncertainty. He thanked search teams and volunteers for their support.

Authorities are still investigating how the SUV ended up in the water, working to uncover what led to the tragedy.

For the family, the discovery ends the painful wait but begins the harder path of grief. Loved ones remember

Whisper’s devotion and Sandra’s short but precious life, a loss that leaves an irreplaceable void.