A man who followed the case of a missing mother and her 8-month-old daughter helped volunteer divers locate their bodies in a submerged SUV in a San Joaquin County canal Sunday, bringing an emotional end to a month-long search.

Whisper Owen and her daughter, Sandra McCarty, were last seen on July 15 after leaving a doctor's appointment in Fresno. Authorities later pinged Owen's phone near a rural canal, but initial searches failed to locate the vehicle.

Chris Waller, a Waterford resident, said he began reaching out to Adventures With Purpose: a volunteer dive team known for recovering vehicles in missing persons cases, offering local knowledge and support. Waller gathered surveillance footage from area businesses that showed Owen's damaged SUV passing through Waterford and Oakdale the night she disappeared.

"They had verified that they had a one-headlight vehicle coming by eight minutes after getting out of Waterford, and then I had another one about nine minutes after that in Oakdale," Waller told CBS 13.

Working with Owen's brother, Waller also reviewed her Google activity and noted she appeared to be searching for directions home. He later purchased a $138 sonar ball to help scan waterways in the area.

On Sunday, Waller joined Adventures With Purpose and diver Juan Heredia of Angels Recovery at Victory Avenue and Highway 120. Within 30 minutes of putting boats in the water, divers located Owen's 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer pinned under a bridge.

"I was like, if she's here, she's under that bridge, and lo and lo and behold, that's exactly where she was," Waller said.

In a statement, Adventures With Purpose credited Waller for his role: "With Chris's assistance, we were able to narrow down the search to a one-mile radius… We are grateful for his efforts and support and really give him great credit in helping us locate and bring these two home."

Waller's wife organized a vigil for the mother and daughter.