The flicker of hope that remained until yesterday of finding the mother and baby girl who went missing last week, was extinguished yesterday afternoon when Armed Forces divers spotted the woman’s blue Seat Ibiza underwater at Cirkewwa with the lifeless bodies of Sharon Attard and daughter Haley inside.

The lifeless body of eight-month-old Haley, still in her baby car seat, being carried to the police hearse

The corpses were recovered from the battered car, number plate SHA-016, amid distraught relatives who could not believe the tragic events unfolding in front of them. Ms Attard’s husband, Wayne, was also present during the recovery operation and could not hold back his tears when the car was pulled out of the water.

No foul play is suspected, however police investigations into the tragedy are ongoing and an autopsy will be held on Monday morning. The autopsy is expected to reveal how long the bodies had been in the water and the cause of death.

The Armed Forces divers spotted the car on the seabed at 1pm yesterday at a depth of around 11 metres on the rear side of the Cirkewwa quay. The divers were on one of a number of routine searches, which have been ongoing at a number of coastal areas for the past week. This was the first underwater search in the area.

The car was found around 50 metres out at sea. The vehicle was heavily damaged and it is understood that it was found resting on its roof.

On-site sources told MaltaToday that the car was believed to have been driven off the quay and carried further out by the rough seas that characterised the area earlier in the week. However, it will be the police investigation that will determine how the car ended up in the water and what caused the extensive damage.

The operation to pull the car out involved the Civil Protection Department, the Armed Forces and the Police. Duty Magistrate Giovanni Grixti is leading the magisterial inquiry into the incident.

The damaged state of the car made it impossible for the rescuers to pull out the corpses and cutting equipment had to be used to saw off part of the car’s body.

The first corpse to be recovered was that of eight-month-old Haley who was found on the passenger seat still in her baby carseat. Minutes later, Ms Attard’s lifeless body was pulled out from the driver seat.

Anxious friends and relatives could not hold back their tears when it was confirmed that the bodies were those of Ms Attard and Haley, bringing the nationwide week-long search to an abrupt and tragic end.

The recovery operation was being watched by scores of curious onlookers who gathered on the Cirkewwa road above the quay.

Speaking to the press after the lifeless bodies were put in the police hearse, Assistant Commissioner Michael Cassar, who led the operation, said that the bodies were found in an advanced state of decomposition. He added that the police suspected no foul play, however investigations would continue.

Mr Cassar thanked the public and the media for their co-operation in the week-long search for the mother and daughter.

Ms Attard had gone missing on Saturday when she left her St Paul’s Bay home along with Haley. The mother took no personal belongings with her and was suspected of having taken her car. Her husband reported her missing.

Police were baffled by the case because no one had reported spotting either the woman or the car during the week.

Mr Attard made repeated calls for the public to come forward with information. He said that his wife had been suffering from post-natal depression and was under medical care.

Nationwide searches by members of the general public, relatives and friends of the family were scheduled for today, although these will now obviously be called off, with the tragic story now at an end.