Elizabeth "Liz" Waddell, a 44-year-old physical therapist from the Raleigh, North Carolina, area, disappeared during a Caribbean vacation in Grenada, and days later, searchers have found nothing beyond a towel left on a pier.
The Royal Grenada Police Force issued a missing persons alert on July 23, 2026, for Waddell after her traveling companion reported her gone from their Airbnb rental in the Grand Anse area of St. George's, Grenada. Police said Waddell was last seen Wednesday at Grand Anse Beach. An extensive search involving police officers, divers, and students from St. George's University has turned up no trace of her, Fox News Digital reported.
Her husband, Cailen Waddell, flew to the island to join the effort. The U.S. State Department confirmed Sunday it is aware of reports of a missing American citizen in Grenada and said the Trump Administration considers the safety of U.S. citizens abroad its highest priority.
A towel on a pier is the only clue
Amanda Romano-Harmon, a longtime friend who has known the Waddell family for more than 20 years, described the final hours before Liz vanished in an interview with WRAL News. Waddell had put on her swimsuit and gone outside the Airbnb, which had a pool overlooking the bay. Her friend stayed inside to take an online course.
"She had her swimsuit on, and she went outside their Airbnb. 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."
Romano-Harmon's account points to a narrow window. When the companion finished her coursework and stepped outside, Waddell was gone. The only physical evidence was the towel draped on a pier near the property's pool. Waddell did not have her phone with her.
The New York Post reported that Waddell was last seen at approximately 8 p.m., placing her disappearance in the evening hours on Grand Anse Beach. The timing raises obvious questions about visibility, water conditions, and whether anyone else was nearby.
No authority, Grenadian or American, has publicly confirmed or ruled out any specific cause, whether drowning, foul play, or voluntary departure. That silence, days into the search, is itself a concern for a family left waiting on the other side of the Caribbean.
Cailen Waddell flew to Grenada after getting the call at work
Cailen Waddell learned his wife was missing while he was at work. By Friday, he posted on social media that he was heading to Grenada and urged anyone with connections to the island to share information that could help find her. Cases like the months-long search for Nancy Guthrie show how quickly a missing person case can stall without sustained public pressure and clear answers from investigators.
Speaking to the Grenada Broadcasting Network after arriving on the island, Cailen described his wife in simple terms.
"My wife is a loving, free-spirited person. She could make friends with anyone. She often did."
He also told the network he expects "nothing less than Liz's safe return" and asked the public to send "love, light, thoughts, and prayers."
Waddell earned a doctorate in physical therapy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and founded Art of Movement Physical Therapy in Cary, North Carolina. She also worked as a fitness instructor at Aradia Fitness, which posted on social media calling her disappearance "disheartening" and saying the community is praying for her safe return.
The New York Post added that Waddell had struggled with long-COVID and chronic fatigue syndrome before the trip, details that could be relevant to her physical condition at the time she disappeared, though no official has drawn that connection publicly.
Grenadian police ask fishermen and boat operators for help
The Royal Grenada Police Force broadened its appeal beyond standard channels, specifically asking fishermen, boat operators, and residents along Grenada's southern coastline to report any sightings that could aid the search. The force listed contact numbers for the South Saint George Police Station, the Criminal Investigation Department, and the island's 911 emergency line.
That appeal to maritime workers suggests authorities have not limited their search to the immediate beach and shoreline. Divers are already part of the operation. Students from St. George's University, a well-known medical school on the island that draws many American students, have also joined the effort, the Grenada Broadcasting Network reported.
Missing person cases abroad carry a particular weight for American families. The State Department told Fox News Digital it can assist families with filing missing persons reports and help them understand local procedures, but declined to provide additional details about Waddell's case, citing privacy considerations. The department did not say whether any U.S. consular official has been physically deployed to assist on the ground, a gap in the public record that leaves the scope of American involvement unclear.
Domestically, families of missing persons have faced long waits for resolution. In one recent case, skeletal remains in Cleveland were identified as a missing woman nearly seven years after she vanished, a grim reminder that time is rarely on a family's side.
Waddell is 5-foot-5, was wearing a swimsuit, and had no phone
Police described Waddell as 5 feet 5 inches tall. She was wearing a swimsuit when she was last seen and did not have her phone, a detail that eliminated one of the most common tools investigators use to track a missing person's movements. No other physical evidence beyond the towel has been publicly reported.
The lack of a phone, the evening hour, and the proximity to open water create a picture that is easy to read but hard to confirm without more information from authorities. Grenadian police have not held a press conference or issued a detailed public update beyond the initial missing persons alert. Whether that reflects the pace of a small island's law enforcement apparatus or something more deliberate is an open question.
Other missing person cases in the United States have shown how critical the first days of a search can be. Investigators in a South Carolina case involving a missing trainer moved quickly once a body matching the woman's description was found, bringing state-level investigators into the fold immediately.
Waddell's family and friends are not waiting on official channels alone. Cailen Waddell's social media appeal, Romano-Harmon's media interviews, and Aradia Fitness's public post all reflect a community that understands the value of keeping a missing person's name in front of as many eyes as possible. In the case of Nancy Guthrie, 100 days passed with a sheriff offering no updates and volunteer searchers getting no response, a cautionary example of what happens when public attention fades.
State Department says it's aware, but offers little else
The State Department's statement Sunday was carefully worded. Officials said they are aware of reports of a missing American citizen. They emphasized the administration's commitment to the safety of citizens abroad. They offered procedural assistance. They declined specifics.
For a family standing on a Caribbean island with a towel and no answers, procedural assistance is not the same thing as results. The question now is whether Grenadian authorities, American officials, or the sheer volume of public attention can produce a lead before the trail goes cold.
Liz Waddell went on vacation. She put on a swimsuit and walked outside. Days later, no one can say what happened next. Her family deserves more than awareness, they deserve answers.
