The husband of a North Carolina woman who vanished on vacation in Grenada has shared the latest developments in the search for his wife, Elizabeth 'Liz' Waddell, 43. Waddell disappeared on July 22 while swimming off Grand Anse Beach in St. George's. Her husband, Cailen, stated that he joins authorities in believing no foul play was involved in her disappearance.
"After careful and thoughtful consultation with family, local authorities, the US Embassy, and others here in Grenada, I join authorities in believing there was no foul play," Cailen Waddell said in a statement on Wednesday. He added that despite exhaustive efforts by family, friends, local authorities, and Grenadian citizens, they have been unsuccessful in locating her.
According to Grenada Police Chief Randy Connaught, Waddell and her friend initially stayed at a resort on the west side of the island before moving to an Airbnb in the south on July 21. Surveillance footage from the Airbnb shows Waddell walking toward a jetty near the residence the following morning.
The footage shows Waddell sitting in the sun before entering the ocean at 11:51 a.m. She was last seen on video around 12:04 p.m., approximately 20 feet from shore in water about five feet deep, swimming toward Grand Anse Beach. Her traveling companion was seen adjusting a beach chair and later went to look for Waddell when she did not return.
Cailen Waddell, who has since traveled from Cary, North Carolina, to Grenada with their adult daughter to assist in the search, noted that his wife was wearing blue and white striped shorts and a burnt orange crop top when she left the Airbnb. He believes she went swimming in these clothes and did not have her wallet, shoes, or cash with her. The friend reported Waddell missing at 5:50 p.m. after discovering her towel still on the pier and being unable to find her.
Cailen Waddell described the swimming conditions near Grand Anse Beach as similar to a lake, contrasting it with the ocean waters of North Carolina. He noted the presence of rocks where one could stop if needed and that the water is shallow near the shore. "The water is shallower near shore, where Liz could touch if she wanted, and the water is like a lake, not like ocean water we experience in North Carolina," he posted on the family-created website, FindLiz.com.
Friends have described Waddell, the founder of Art of Movement Physical Therapy in Cary, as an adventurer and a "ray of sunshine." The missing person investigation is ongoing, with authorities hoping to determine Waddell's actions between the last confirmed video sighting and the time she was seen in the water. Cailen Waddell also expressed hope for determining any further sightings.
