Nearly a week after her disappearance, international and U.S. authorities are continuing to search for a Cary woman who went missing while vacationing in the Caribbean.
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Elizabeth “Liz” Waddell, 44, was on a trip in Grenada when she told a friend she was going down to the water for a swim. She was last seen on security footage swimming at Grand Anse Beach on July 22, around noon but was never seen leaving the water, Grenada police said during a news conference Tuesday morning.
Authorities have searched the shorelines and conducted an underwater search, according to the Royal Grenada Police Force. But they said authorities have reached “no final conclusion” on the status of Waddell’s whereabouts.
“This matter continues to be treated as a missing person investigation,” said Randy Connaught, the Grenada commissioner of police. “We appeal to anyone who may have information relevant to this investigation to come forward.”
Waddell works as a physical therapist in Cary and also as an instructor at Aradia Fitness, according to ABC11, The News & Observer’s newsgathering partner. She is married to Cailen Waddell, the operations manager for Cary Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources, who authorities said arrived in Grenada to assist in the search on Friday.
Waddell arrived in Grenada from Miami on July 11 with a female friend, authorities said. During the first 10 days of their stay, the pair stayed on the western side of the island until they relocated to a new accommodation on July 21 — the day before Waddell went missing.
Grenada police on Tuesday confirmed the switch between accommodations was a “planned arrangement” in the pair’s travel plans.
“There was nothing by way of information that there was anything concerning that agitated the move from that particular resort,” Connaught said.
At about 11:30 a.m. on July 22, surveillance footage shows Waddell walking toward the beach and sitting on the sand, according to Grenada police. A few minutes later, she removes her towel and walks into the water.
At 12:04 p.m., Grenada police said Waddell is seen swimming beneath the jetty. About 40 minutes later, Waddell’s friend walks down to the beach and leaves alone. She reported Waddell as missing to the police at about 5:50 p.m., according to authorities.
According to surveillance video and witnesses interviewed at the scene, Waddell was never seen leaving the water, Connaught said.
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In the days since her disappearance, local authorities including Grenada police and the Grenada Coast Guard have worked to reconstruct Waddell’s movements — examining tide patterns, probing Waddell’s cellphone and conducting underwater searches and aerial surveillance, Connaught said Tuesday.
“The investigative team is also examining whether any person, vessel or vehicle moved to the relevant locations during this critical period,” Connaught said.
Local authorities have also been in contact with the FBI, who have helped provide “background information” during the search. Members of the FBI haven’t been on-scene, Connaught said, and officials haven’t made a request for them to be present for the investigation.
Waddell’s friend and her husband, Cailen Waddell, have both been cooperating with authorities throughout the investigation, Grenada police said.
“It is our hope that Elizabeth will be found and found alive and well,” Connaught said. “The Royal Grenada Police Force remains equally hopeful that she will be safe and that she is safe, and we continue to appeal for cooperation to us.”
Community members are continuing to amplify information about Waddell’s disappearance through a Facebook group and a family-supported website dedicated to updates surrounding the search. In a statement posted to the website Tuesday, Cailen Waddell wrote that he swam in the same area as his wife’s disappearance on Monday, which he described as an “easy” swim.
“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 wrote.
Cailen Waddell said Liz was wearing blue and white striped shorts and an orange, loose, cropped shirt in the water at the time of her disappearance. She is described as about 5 feet 5 inches tall with blonde hair, according to a missing person alert.
Cailen Waddell told ABC11 that his wife is “about 5 feet” tall with short blonde hair.
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This story was originally published July 28, 2026 at 10:44 AM.