'You were important to her': Friends support family of Cary mom who disappeared in Grenada

Elizabeth Waddell got to know the Cary community through her work as a physical therapist and through fitness classes she teaches throughout town.

“She is so different than my circle of friends...but you just can't help but like her,” said MaryBeth Rubano, who met Waddell at physical therapy. “She’s outgoing; she cares about you [and] you were important to her.”

Rubano and many of Waddell's friends are now supporting her family from Cary as the search for her entered its fifth day on Monday, 2,000 miles away in Grenada. 

“I saw her picture for a second. I didn’t see the name, and I went, ‘Oh my God, I know her,’” Rubano said.

Waddell, 44, was last spotted around 8 a.m. on Wednesday in the Grand Anse Beach area of St. George. 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. 

"The two of them went down there, and they [were] just vacationing and sightseeing and taking in all that Grenada has to offer," said Amanda Romano-Harmon, a friend of the Waddells for 25 years.

Romano-Harmon said Waddell was vacationing with another friend and was staying at an Airbnb with the friend.

 "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." 

According to Waddell’s friends, she was last seen in the water on camera footage from a bar and grill overlooking the pier until she floated out of view. 

Her friends and family are now flying out to the island to assist in the days-long search.

“I hope they find her. I hope she's fine. I can't imagine in my head what could have happened,” Rubano said.

There is now a Facebook page dedicated to her search, saying she was last seen wearing beige shorts with blue stripes and a burnt-orange top. Waddell has blonde hair and a medium build.

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.