Cary mom missing in Grenada left Airbnb for a swim, her friend says

Loved ones are desperately trying to find Elizabeth Waddell, 44, a Cary mother who was reported missing Wednesday while vacationing with a friend in Grenada.

WRAL News on Sunday spoke to Amanda Romano-Harmon, who has known Elizabeth Waddell and her husband, Cailen, for 25 years. The husbands were college roommates, and the two couples and their children have been close for years.

According to the Royal Grenada Police Force, Elizabeth Waddell was last seen around 8 a.m. Wednesday, July 22, in the Grand Anse Beach area of St. George’s. She has short, blonde hair and is 5 feet tall. Anyone with any tips is asked to contact police.

Elizabeth Waddell is married to Cailen Waddell, who serves as the Town of Cary’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources operations manager and has asked others to spread the word.

Romano-Harmon said Elizabeth Waddell was vacationing with another friend in Grenada, and the women were staying at an Airbnb. 

"The two of them went down there, and they just been vacationing and sightseeing and taking in all that Grenada has to offer," she said. "Cailen was here working and he got the phone call from her friend on Wednesday that Liz was missing ... she hadn't seen her for a few hours. She was starting to panic because she knew Liz didn't have her phone or anything with her, and so they wound up filing a missing persons report right away."

Romano-Harmon said the friend was taking an online course in the Airbnb, and Elizabeth Waddell left for a swim. That was the last time her friend saw her.

"She had her swimsuit on, and she went outside their Airbnb," Romano-Harmon said. "They had a pool that overlooked the bay. Liz was set up out there just sightseeing from the pool, and her friend was taking her online course. When she got through with her course, she looked up and she didn't see Liz outside, so she went outside to walk around and see where she went, and she saw her towel down on the pier. So the only thing we can think is maybe she went for a swim."

The missing persons poster for Elizabeth Waddell said police are in contact with fishermen, boat operators, and residents along the southern coastline. 

Elizabeth Waddell is the founder of Art of Movement Physical Therapy. According to her website, she has a doctorate in physical therapy from UNC-Chapel Hill.

Romano-Harmon said her friend loves to travel.

"Everybody's a friend for Liz. Liz has the adventure bug. She loves to travel, and there's not a hike she didn't like that she wanted to try," Romano-Harmon said. "She's a ray of sunshine, and she just she loves to meet new people and experience different cultures and see what the world has to offer. She's a great friend."

Cailen Waddell, who has been in Grenada with his daughter since Friday, spoke with the Grenada News Network on his way to the island nation to help with the search. He described his wife as a kind-hearted woman who had a unique ability to connect with everyone she meets.

"My wife is a loving, free-spirited person," he said. "She could make friends with anyone. She often did ... and was always willing to help someone."

Romano-Harmon said the community in Grenada has been supportive, bringing food to Cailen Waddell and his daughter.

"They're broken up," Romano-Harmon said. "They're trying to figure out anything -- no stone left unturned. They're looking for all the details, all the clues. They're just trying to hold it together as best as they can, and we're trying to be as supportive as we possibly can for them, because it's unimaginable. We're just trying to keep them calm and trying to help them in any way that we can."

Romano-Harmon said Cailen has been in direct contact with Grenadian officials, including the government and police.

"Everybody has just been so helpful, deploying all their resources to find her," she said. "They're going to different places that they know she visited, places that they knew she wanted to visit, interviewing everybody and anyone, hoping that if anybody has any detail, no detail is too small to come forward and let their authorities know."

Anyone who has seen Elizabeth Waddell or has information about her whereabouts is asked to contact the St. George Police Station at 444-4454, the Criminal Investigation Department at 440-3921 or 911. Authorities are also asking business operators, residents and anyone along the island’s southern coastline to report information that could assist in the search.

"The police have been wonderful," Cailen Waddell said. "The investigation is ongoing. [The police] have been incredibly communicative and have done everything it seems like they could be doing to help find her."