As the sun set beneath a cloud filled sky this past Saturday, Aug. 23, family and friends of Whisper Owen, 36, and her eight-month-old daughter Sandra McCarty gathered to honor them along the banks of the canal at Highway 120 and Victory Avenue. That’s where they were discovered in a submerged vehicle, pulled from the canal at the San Joaquin-Stanislaus County line on Sunday, Aug. 17.

From tears to hugs and shared memories, the event brought folks from throughout the Central Valley together to honor the duo that had been missing for more than a month. Although it was a tragic ending to the story, Vickie Torres, Whisper’s mother and Sandra’s grandmother, noted that she was grateful that they were finally found.

Through tears, Torres and her family expressed their gratitude to the many volunteers and emergency personnel that spent weeks searching for the duo that disappeared in mid-July following a trip to Fresno.

“We are so grateful to all of the people that helped us look for Whisper and Sandra. They never would have been found without your help,” Torres told the crowd that gathered along the canal.

Some of the emergency responders and rescue divers that were involved in the search attended the vigil, including those from Delta Fire and Rescue and Juan Heredia of the Angels Recovery Dive Team. Heredia, a local diver from Stockton, has been involved in many search and recovery missions and formed the Angels Recovery Dive Team in 2024 after recognizing the need that so many families feel when they lose a loved one due to a water related accident. Heredia, who has completed more than a dozen recovery missions, shared a long embrace and some kind words with Torres as he acknowledged that though this was not the outcome that they prayed for, at least Whisper and Sandra have been found and hopefully that can bring some closure to their loved ones.

Candles were lit, flowers placed and respects paid to the mother and daughter during the informal ceremony.