Elizabeth Waddell missing in Grenada as friend describes beach video
A family spokesperson says video shows the North Carolina mother entering the water before disappearing from view near Grand Anse Beach.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Elizabeth Waddell missing in Grenada is now the focus of a beachside search after a family spokesperson said surveillance video shows the North Carolina mother walking to a pier and entering the water before she vanished from camera view.
Waddell, 44, was last seen July 22 at Grand Anse Beach in St. George’s, the island nation’s capital, according to Grenada police information reported by CBS News.
Amanda Romano-Harmon, a friend of Waddell and spokesperson for the family, told CBS News that the Royal Grenada Police Force recovered surveillance footage showing Waddell’s final known movements. Romano-Harmon said the video shows Waddell going to the pier, getting into the water and swimming or floating before she moves beyond the camera’s range.
Police have not made any surveillance images from the case public, CBS News reported.
What happened to Elizabeth Waddell in Grenada?
According to her family, Waddell had been staying in Grenada for a three-week vacation with a close friend, Heather Poole. The family said Waddell left their Airbnb around noon on July 22 and did not come back for several hours.
Poole later went to look for her, the family said. She found Waddell’s towel, but no other sign of her, according to CBS News.
Romano-Harmon said Waddell had gone out wearing a swimsuit and carrying a towel. She said Waddell did not have her phone, identification, shoes or anything else with her.
Romano-Harmon also described Waddell to CBS News as a beloved physical therapist and said she was the kind of person who would help others readily.
Family joins the search on the island
Waddell’s husband, Cailen Waddell, has traveled to Grenada along with other relatives to help with the search, CBS News reported.
Speaking to Grenadian media last week, Cailen Waddell described his wife as a loving, free-spirited person who could make friends with anyone.
The search has drawn appeals from authorities for help from people who may have been near the water or in the surrounding area. Police are asking boaters and residents to come forward with anything they may have seen connected to Waddell’s disappearance.
What are authorities saying?
The Royal Grenada Police Force has not released the surveillance footage or still images tied to Waddell’s disappearance, according to CBS News.
The U.S. State Department is aware of reports that an American is missing in Grenada, a spokesperson said, according to CBS News. No further details from the department were reported.
Grand Anse Beach is in St. George’s, Grenada’s capital city. Authorities have not reported finding Waddell, and the available details from family and police place her last known location at the beach on July 22.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.