What began as a routine doctor’s visit turned into tragedy for a California mother and her baby.

On July 15, 36-year-old Whisper Owen and her 8-month-old daughter, Sandra McCarty, vanished after an appointment in Fresno. The last sighting came hours later in Atwater, where Whisper was seen changing Sandra’s diaper in a parking lot.

Weeks of searching ended in heartbreak when volunteer divers with Adventures With Purpose located Whisper’s SUV submerged in a canal beneath a bridge in San Joaquin County. Both mother and daughter were found inside.

Owen, a mother of four from Elk Grove, had spent the day visiting family before starting her drive home. Loved ones grew worried after days of silence, and investigators later confirmed no signs of foul play.

Her mother, Vickie Torres, said she clung to hope but feared the worst: “It just makes it really hard as her mother not to constantly imagine what could’ve happened. And that beautiful little baby… I hoped she was with her mama.”

A GoFundMe has since been launched to help with funeral expenses.

Two lives were lost, but Whisper’s final moments reflected a mother’s love — doing everything she could to protect her child.