Search intensifies for North Carolina physical therapist who vanished during Caribbean getaway

A North Carolina pistillate has vanished portion connected a travel to the Caribbean land of Grenada, sparking an urgent hunt arsenic her family, friends and loved ones plead for her harmless return.

Elizabeth "Liz" Waddell, 44, was past seen Wednesday astatine Grand Anse Beach successful St. George's, adjacent wherever she was staying successful the Grand Anse area, according to the Royal Grenada Police Force.

Waddell, a carnal therapist, woman and parent from the Raleigh area, is described arsenic 5 feet 5 inches gangly with abbreviated blonde hair. Authorities besides released a photograph showing Waddell with pinkish hairsbreadth arsenic they asked the nationalist for assistance locating her.

According to her nonrecreational website, Waddell is the laminitis of Art of Movement Physical Therapy and earned a doctorate successful carnal therapy from the University of North Carolina astatine Chapel Hill.

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Liz Waddell smiles during a repast successful an undated photo. (Cailen Waddell)

According to a person who said she has known Waddell and her hubby for much than 20 years, Waddell traveled to Grenada for a abrogation with different friend, WRAL News reported. 

Waddell's person reportedly mislaid show of her aft remaining astatine their Airbnb to instrumentality an online people portion Waddell went outside, seemingly for a swim.

"She had her swimsuit on, and she went extracurricular their Airbnb," Amanda Romano-Harmon said, according to the section outlet. "They had a excavation that overlooked the bay. Liz was acceptable up retired determination conscionable sightseeing from the pool, and her person was taking her online course. When she got done with her course, she looked up and she didn't spot Liz outside, truthful she went extracurricular to locomotion astir and spot wherever she went, and she saw her towel down connected the pier. So the lone happening we tin deliberation is possibly she went for a swim."

The person reportedly became progressively acrophobic implicit the adjacent respective hours, knowing Waddell did not person her telephone with her, and yet filed a missing-persons report.

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Liz Waddell and her husband, Cailen, airs unneurotic for a photograph during a trip.  (Cailen Waddell)

Waddell's husband, Cailen, was astatine enactment erstwhile helium received the telephone astir his wife's disappearance, according to the report.

He said connected societal media Friday that helium was heading to the country to assistance successful the hunt and urged anyone with connections to the land to stock accusation that could assistance find her.

He besides described Waddell arsenic a kind-hearted idiosyncratic portion speaking with section Grenada media outlets.

"My woman is simply a loving, free-spirited person. She could marque friends with anyone. She often did," helium told Grenada Broadcasting Network (GBN).

Police are urging anyone with accusation astir Waddell's whereabouts to travel forward, specifically asking fishermen, vessel operators and residents on Grenada's confederate coastline to study immoderate sightings that could assistance successful the search.

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Grenada officials issued a missing persons alert for Liz Waddell connected July 23, 2026. (Royal Grenada Police Force)

According to GBN, an extended hunt effort is underway with the assistance of constabulary officers, divers and students from St. George's University.

The U.S. State Department told Fox News Digital connected Sunday that officials are alert of reports of a missing American national successful Grenada and emphasized that the Trump Administration has nary higher precedence than the information and information of U.S. citizens abroad.

The State Department declined to supply further details owed to privateness considerations but said it tin assistance families and friends with filing missing persons reports and assistance them recognize section procedures.

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Aradia Fitness, wherever Waddell besides works arsenic a fittingness instructor,  called the quality of her disappearance "disheartening" successful a societal media station and said the assemblage is praying for her harmless return.

Anyone with accusation is urged to interaction the South Saint George Police Station astatine 444-4454, the Criminal Investigation Department astatine 440-3921, the constabulary exigency enactment astatine 911, oregon the nearest constabulary station, the Royal Grenada Police Force said.