A 44-year-old North Carolina tourist, Elizabeth Waddell, has gone missing while visiting Grenada, prompting an extensive coastal search as her husband appeals for information about her whereabouts.
The Royal Grenada Police Force said the woman disappeared from the Grand Anse area of St. George's on Thursday. Authorities launched an investigation and asked fishermen, boat operators and residents along the island's southern coastline to remain alert and report any information that could assist the search.
Husband Of Missing Elizabeth Waddell Appeals for Information
Cailen Waddell, an operations manager with the Town of Cary's Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department, took to social media on Friday to ask for help locating his wife. He said he was travelling to Grenada to join the search efforts.
'Facebook Friends. My wife Liz is missing in Grenada. If any of you have connections to the island, can you please share the following with your contacts there?' he wrote.
He also asked supporters to keep his wife in their thoughts and prayers, saying he hoped for her safe return.
Authorities Work to Establish Timeline
Authorities and Waddell's family have provided differing accounts of her last known movements.
In his social media post, Cailen Waddell said his wife disappeared during the afternoon on Wednesday. However, the Royal Grenada Police Force said she was last seen at approximately 8 p.m. that evening near Grand Anse Beach. Authorities have not publicly explained the discrepancy.
Differences have also emerged in descriptions of Elizabeth Waddell's appearance. The police notice described her as 5 feet 5 inches tall with short blonde hair, while the photograph accompanying the appeal shows her with short pink hair. Local broadcaster WTVD reported that she is closer to 5 feet tall. It is unclear whether the differences reflect recent changes to her appearance or inaccuracies in the initial missing-person notice.
Husband Recalls Missing Elizabeth Waddell Active Life
Back home in North Carolina, she is known as a highly active community member who holds a doctorate in physical therapy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She owns Art of Movement, a clinic that combines more than a decade of clinical experience with over 20 years in fitness and dance.
According to her professional biography, she enjoys pole dancing, CrossFit and hiking. Her public social media profiles also document international trips, including visits to Mexico and Thailand, where she frequently travelled with her husband, Cailen, and their adopted adult daughter, Suwan.
Yet, recent months brought unexpected physical challenges. In a public social media post on 22 May, Waddell shared that she had been receiving treatment for long COVID, post-viral complications and chronic fatigue syndrome. She said she believed the conditions were linked to endometriosis and perimenopause.
She wrote that the symptoms, which began last September, had forced her to step away from her business and significantly reduce her physical activity.
In the same update, however, she said her health had begun improving and that she was gradually returning to a regular work schedule.
Grenadian authorities have not indicated whether her previously disclosed health conditions are believed to have any connection to her disappearance, and no additional details about the circumstances surrounding the case have been released.
