The search team reported that both Whisper and Sandra were found inside the vehicle, noting that Whisper appeared to have tried to protect her daughter during the ordeal. The circumstances that left them trapped under the bridge remain unclear.

Whisper and her daughter had been unaccounted for since July 15, 2025, the day she traveled to Fresno for a medical appointment and to see family. She began the trip back to Sacramento later that evening but never made it home.

According to the Owens family, police traced Whisper’s phone to a location near the canal, which led searchers to the spot where her vehicle was later found lodged beneath a bridge. Inside, both she and her daughter were discovered.

An image from the scene showed