OAKDALE, Calif. — A missing Sacramento mother and her 8-month-old daughter were found dead inside a submerged vehicle on Sunday, search crews confirmed.
Whisper Owen, 36, and her infant daughter, Sandra McCarty, had been missing since July 15, when Owen drove to see family and go to a doctor’s appointment in Fresno, California. Her family said she left in the early evening to head back home to Sacramento.
They were found Sunday inside their 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer, which was discovered submerged in a canal under a bridge on Highway 120 near Oakdale, California.
The discovery was made using sonar technology. The volunteer search team confirmed the bodies of both Owen and Sandra were inside the vehicle.
The searchers say Owen made a desperate attempt to save her daughter during the incident. It’s not clear what led up to them becoming trapped under the bridge.
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