CA CA - Sandra McCarty, 8-months & Whisper Owen, 36, Endangered Advisory, silver 2006 Chev Trailblazer, last seen N Glenn & E Yale, Fresno, 15 Jul 2025

[airportwoman]

Very sad. I hope an investigation is able to determine that this was an accident so her family can have further closure!

Missing California mother and 8-month-old daughter found dead in canal, family says

Family says the bodies of a Sacramento County woman and her infant daughter have been found in their vehicle in a canal near Oakdale.

www.cbsnews.com

Does anyone wonder if she may have had a medical incident that lead to this?

 

[Winterhike]

Oh geez, they had a headlight out. So really tired, long drive, dark, and it is so dark on the back roads, and there are so many hazards...
It's just tragic.

It barely matters anymore, but I still wonder why it took so long for her to get from Fresno to this location in Oakdale. Whatever her reasons were, it sure made the day longer and the conditions darker and more hazardous. I guess we might never know why.

 

[David2019]

**** 48min video *****


Wow this guy is right on the spot... the video was uploaded a day ago so I assume the footage was taken couple days ago

 

[Knox]

**** 48min video *****


Wow this guy is right on the spot... the video was uploaded a day ago so I assume the footage was taken couple days ago

I’ll watch this later, just skimmed a bit. But that’s crazy, with the depth and color of the water there was no way you could see the car from the surface.

What confuses me is how there wasn’t a sign she left the road? Did she enter the water and the car drifted to the bridge crossing?

 

[Coppertop15]

I’ll watch this later, just skimmed a bit. But that’s crazy, with the depth and color of the water there was no way you could see the car from the surface.

What confuses me is how there wasn’t a sign she left the road? Did she enter the water and the car drifted to the bridge crossing?

I haven't been to that location, but so many places, the canals run right along the road and they aren't fenced off. I'm not kidding about how dangerous they are.
I was kind of hinting earlier in the thread how worried I was, with doing a long drive on back roads in the dark. There are so many hazards.

 

[David2019]

I’ll watch this later, just skimmed a bit. But that’s crazy, with the depth and color of the water there was no way you could see the car from the surface.

What confuses me is how there wasn’t a sign she left the road? Did she enter the water and the car drifted to the bridge crossing?

Barley a scratch on the car except the headlight

 

[Knox]

I haven't been to that location, but so many places, the canals run right along the road and they aren't fenced off. I'm not kidding about how dangerous they are.
I was kind of hinting earlier in the thread how worried I was, with doing a long drive on back roads in the dark. There are so many hazards.

I’m on the central coast and we travel to the valley via 41. Not sure how deep the canal is that parallels the highway, seems a little shallower this time of year, but I know people end up in it.

I guess if she left the road at the right angle and speed. There wouldn’t be any tire marks on the soil bank of the canal. That’s what I meant by sign of where she went in.

 

[Knox]

View attachment 609217View attachment 609218View attachment 609219

Barley a scratch on the car except the headlight

Thanks for the photos. I see the banks look like concrete with a gravel approach. Not soil banks like those along the stretch of 41 I’m familiar with. You likely wouldn’t be able to tell where a car went in.

 

[Winterhike]

View attachment 609217View attachment 609218View attachment 609219

Barley a scratch on the car except the headlight

The sun/moon roof appears to be open, and it appears to be closed in the videos of the car driving through Oakdale posted previously (but it's hard to confirm, please say if anyone sees otherwise). I've thankfully never been in a submerged car so I don't know if if this is possible or if it just a result of damage or water pressure, but I wonder if she tried to open it and get them out through the top of the car but could not.

 

[Knox]

The sun/moon roof appears to be open, and it appears to be closed in the videos of the car driving through Oakdale posted previously (but it's hard to confirm, please say if anyone sees otherwise). I've thankfully never been in a submerged car so I don't know if if this is possible or if it just a result of damage or water pressure, but I wonder if she tried to open it and get them out through the top of the car but could not.

AWP said Whisper did everything she could to save Sandra, I’m paraphrasing. Post #212.

 

[Winterhike]

AWP said Whisper did everything she could to save Sandra, I’m paraphrasing. Post #212.

Saw that; guessing they are saying that based on their positions when found. Although maybe more details will come out later.

 

[Carovb5]

The Diver is Juan Heredia. He is with Angels Recovery Dive Team. He’s amazing! He’s done a ton of recovery missions. Check him out when you get a chance. As others have already said, Adventures with purpose is the other group that located the vehicle with their sonar.

He really must have a great passion (and heart!!) for helping people, to be able to do those dives. I can’t imagine what terrible things he sees & endures. I have an incredible respect for recovery- and crisisdivers. What a gruesome & lonely job down there. Thanks to all people out there for putting yourself out there for loved ones you don’t know.

 

[Daphne_Blake]

God, poor Whisper and Sandra, may they rest in peace.

I'm glad the family has answers now instead of being left wondering for many years (though I wish it was happier ending :'( ) Shame on the police for labelling her a run away first despite no evidence of that!

 

[Toniab329]

It barely matters anymore, but I still wonder why it took so long for her to get from Fresno to this location in Oakdale. Whatever her reasons were, it sure made the day longer and the conditions darker and more hazardous. I guess we might never know why.

I wonder if there will be an autopsy done? I would assume so, but maybe not. I'm just wondering if she was under the influence of something, even though with it being dark and her missing a headlight, that might not even be a factor in the accident. MOO.

 

[Soulmagent]

I’ll watch this later, just skimmed a bit. But that’s crazy, with the depth and color of the water there was no way you could see the car from the surface.

What confuses me is how there wasn’t a sign she left the road? Did she enter the water and the car drifted to the bridge crossing?

I saw someone mention this metal rail had been repaired, WAS made earlier this week ,like it was something that was on the list to get fixed. So it alluded to the fact the rail might have already been kocked down prior , so no local would have seen any thing different than the day before. Rumor ,and MY opinion.

 

[teeby]

She was blessed ! I cannot imagine how scared she was. I hope Whisper and the baby were knocked out on impact with the water so they had no clue what was happening.

They weren't -- AWP said she was trying to get the baby out of the car
(Thereby also suggesting that going into the water was accidental, not suicide)

 

[Soulmagent]

They weren't -- AWP said she was trying to get the baby out of the car
(Thereby also suggesting that going into the water was accidental, not suicide)

Sometimes they talk too much. Why did they need to say all that so soon?

 

[GraceG]

I wonder if there will be an autopsy done? I would assume so, but maybe not. I'm just wondering if she was under the influence of something, even though with it being dark and her missing a headlight, that might not even be a factor in the accident. MOO.

The coroner is required to investigate certain deaths pursuant to state law. In general, this includes all unnatural and unexpected deaths, or those where the attending medical doctor is unable to state a cause of death. There's a detailed lists of deaths under the jurisdiction of the coroner in California Government Code 27491 if you want to look further and drowning is specifically included, but not injuries from a motor vehicle accident. https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/government-code/gov-sect-27491/

In California autopsies will almost always be done in a fatal motor vehicle accident IF the cause of death is unclear or if there is a legal investigation. The level of examination required to achieve this will vary from case to case. A decedent may undergo an external examination, complete autopsy, or partial autopsy, and this decision is made at the discretion of the coroner largely depending on the circumstances of death and any pre-existing medical history (which would include any known history of alcohol or substance abuse).

Otherwise, the family can ask that one not be performed (I had a family member drown in CA after a single person boating incident and his wife did NOT want an autopsy done and that was honored). Autopsy and most toxological records are a matter of public record but they are normally formally requested under the Public Records Act and aren't necessarily published or provided to the media out of respect for the family's privacy.

 

[su5ie]

Rip Sandra and whisper

Her brother was right , his intuition was a vehicle accident

 

[Knox]

Sometimes they talk too much. Why did they need to say all that so soon?

I agree, but in this case I think because they have been working with her brother, it was more for his benefit than anything else. Know what I mean?