Grenada Search for Missing American, 44, Intensifies After Beach Swim

Q: With dangerous riptides and local crime in Grenada, did the missing Carolina therapist fall victim to the ocean or something more sinister?

There is no evidence yet that Elizabeth “Liz” Waddell was the victim of a crime, and the known facts point more directly to a possible water emergency, though investigators have not ruled anything out. Waddell, 44, of Cary, North Carolina, disappeared after going into the water near Grand Anse Beach in Grenada and leaving her towel on a pier, according to family and local authorities. Grenadian police have focused their appeal on fishermen, boat operators and residents along the southern coastline, a detail that fits a search pattern for someone who may have been carried by currents. That possibility is credible. Travel advisories for Grenada warn that coastal waters can be dangerous, with common riptides, uneven rescue coverage, and beaches that may lack lifeguards or warning flags. If Waddell entered the water alone, even a strong, active swimmer could have encountered trouble. At the same time, public concern about crime is not baseless in a general sense. Advisories note petty crime and some risks to women traveling alone. But so far, authorities have released no sign of foul play, no report of an assault, and no indication that her belongings beyond the towel suggest a criminal encounter. For now, the strongest fact-based assessment is that an ocean-related accident is the more supported scenario, but it remains an open missing-person investigation. Any firm claim of something “more sinister” would go beyond the evidence currently made public.

3 articles · Updated · NBC News · Jul 27

Several days of Coast Guard and diver searches have failed to find Elizabeth “Liz” Waddell, 44, after she disappeared while swimming off Grand Anse Beach in Grenada.
Family spokesperson Amanda Romano-Harmon said surveillance footage showed Waddell on a pier between noon and 1 p.m. Wednesday, entering the water and then floating out of the camera’s view.
Her friend, who was finishing an online class at their nearby Airbnb, later found Waddell’s towel on the pier; Waddell had left her phone and ID behind, and a missing-person report was filed after hours passed.
Royal Grenada Police have asked fishermen, boat operators and southern coastline residents for sightings, while Waddell’s husband, daughter, twin sister and friends have flown to the island to help search.