Grenada police say missing Cary tourist was last seen entering water, not returning
Surveillance footage shows 44-year-old Elizabeth Waddell entering the ocean near Grand Anse Beach on July 22 and not reappearing, prompting a missing-person investigation by Grenadian authorities.
Grenada police said surveillance video captured 44-year-old Elizabeth “Liz” Waddell walking toward a jetty near her Airbnb on July 22, removing her towel and entering the water at 11:51 a.m. She was seen swimming at 12:04 p.m., but the footage showed no return to shore. At 12:46 p.m., her companion walked away from the jetty alone, prompting a missing-person report.
Police commissioner Randy Connaught said the case remains a missing-person investigation and that investigators have reviewed the video, interviewed witnesses and are reconstructing Waddell’s movements. A witness on a jet ski reported seeing a woman swimming far from shore who declined assistance, saying she was a strong swimmer.
Waddell, a physical therapist from Cary, North Carolina, was on vacation with a friend. Her husband and daughter have been in Grenada since Friday to assist the search, and additional friends are traveling to the island to help. A website and social-media page have been set up to coordinate search efforts.
"At this time, this matter continues to be treated as a missing person investigation," Connaught said.
"The two of them went down there, and they [were] just vacationing and sightseeing and taking in all that Grenada has to offer," said Amanda Romano-Harmon, a longtime friend.
Authorities continue to search the area, and officials have not ruled out any possibilities.