The husband of the Cary woman who went missing in the Caribbean more than a week ago said he doesn’t suspect foul play in his wife’s disappearance.
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Elizabeth “Liz” Waddell, 44, was last seen on surveillance video on July 22 swimming on Grand Anse Beach in Grenada, where she was traveling with a friend, The News & Observer previously reported, but authorities said she was never seen exiting the water.
In a statement Wednesday night, Cailen Waddell, Liz Waddell’s husband, said the probe into his wife’s disappearance will continue as a missing person investigation, aiming to determine her actions after she was spotted on surveillance cameras just after 12 p.m.
But Cailen Waddell says his wife also was seen hours later and was spotted swimming in the ocean far from the shore at 5:30 p.m.
“After careful and thoughtful consultation with family, local authorities, the U.S. Embassy, and others here in Grenada, I join authorities in believing there was no foul play,” Cailen Waddell wrote. “Liz was last seen swimming in the ocean near Grand Anse, around 5:30 PM, far from shore. She communicated her confidence in her swimming and location, as well as the beauty of the island.”
As of Tuesday morning, Grenadian police said they had reached “no final conclusion” about Waddell’s whereabouts after conducting underwater, aerial and shoreline searches, but were continuing to treat the case as a missing person investigation. Police have not provided a public update since Tuesday. Thursday, they told the N&O they have no further information on the investigation.
Cailen Waddell serves as operations manager for Cary Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources. He said the search for his wife has continued, with the help of Waddell’s friends, family and “countless” Grenadian citizens, though they “have not been successful,” Waddell wrote.
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But Waddell’s family continues to urge the public for any details that could lead to her return.
“No detail is too small,” Cailen Waddell wrote.
On Tuesday, Waddell’s family posted surveillance video from the Airbnb she and her friend were staying at. They said it shows Waddell walking toward the water, jumping off a jetty and swimming before she later floats out of view.
Later that afternoon, Waddell’s friend searched for her on the beach and filed a missing person report hours later after she was unable to locate Waddell.
A Gofundme organized by Waddell’s friends to support search efforts had surpassed $20,000 as of Thursday morning. Waddell, who friends described as a beloved member of the Cary community, owns a local physical therapy practice in Cary and teaches classes at Aradia Fitness.
“Liz is the kind of person who brings joy to everyone she meets—she’ll join kids playing in the park, and she treats friends like family,” a friend wrote on Gofundme. “When we learned about Liz’s disappearance, our hearts broke, but we are determined to help bring her home.”
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This story was originally published July 30, 2026 at 10:05 AM.