BEACH MYSTERY — Husband reveals chilling final moments in Elizabeth Waddell disappearance
BEACH MYSTERY
Elizabeth Waddell twist as husband reveals ‘new final sighting & haunting last words’ in sea 4 HOURS after vanishing
THE heartbroken husband of missing American tourist Elizabeth Waddell has revealed she was allegedly seen alive more than four hours after she vanished on a dream vacation.
Waddell, known as Liz, disappeared while going for a swim in the sea on the Caribbean island of Grenada on July 22.
Liz Waddell’s husband Cailen flew out to Grenada to help search for the missing physical therapist who vanished last monthCredit: Handout
Liz’s last moments were caught on camera as she set off for a solo swim carrying just a towelCredit: Collect
Liz was later seen near a jetty before swimming underneath it where the water was shallowCredit: WRAL News
Liz was described by family and friends as an avid traveler who had been looking forward to the three-week tripCredit: Instagram/artofmovement_pt
Authorities believe she was last captured on security camera footage at around 12.04 pm before vanishing near Grand Anse Beach, triggering a massive search.
Now, more than two weeks later, her husband, Cailen Waddell, has shared an emotional update, revealing what investigators and loved ones now believe was Liz’s final known sighting.
According to Cailen, a pair of jet skiers reported seeing a woman believed to be Liz at around 5.30 pm — more than four hours after she disappeared from camera view.
The witnesses later met with Liz’s family and even returned to the bay by boat to show them exactly where they claimed to have seen her.
“They spoke with her for five or 10 minutes trying to convince her to ride in with them on a Jet Ski and not stay in the ocean,” Cailen wrote on findliz.com.
He said the witnesses reported Liz replied, “I’m a good swimmer,” before giving them a thumbs up.
While he said the description of the woman matched his wife, he admitted one part of the conversation immediately stood out.
“I’ve never heard Liz describe her swimming as good,” he wrote.
Cailen also revealed Liz was not considered a strong swimmer, despite taking swimming lessons as an adult.
He said she normally preferred using flotation devices in the water and had packed four of them for the Grenada vacation.
Liz had been staying at an Airbnb with her friend, Heather, and headed to the beach wearing shorts and a top, carrying only a towel at around 11:45 am.
According to her husband, Liz had used two flotation devices earlier in the trip but is not believed to have been using one on the day she disappeared.
If the reported sighting was Liz, Cailen said she was floating or treading water roughly one-third of a mile from shore in Grand Anse Bay.
“My commentary is I just can’t believe that Liz made this swim,” he wrote.
“It is completely out of character for her, and seems far beyond my understanding of her swimming abilities.”
Police in Grenada are still investigating the disappearance of the tourist from North CarolinaCredit: Facebook/Cailen Waddell
Liz’s husband Cailen Waddell also paid tribute to his wife after more than 20 years togetherCredit: Facebook/Liz Waddell
While the family believes drowning may be the most likely explanation, Cailen stressed that they still have no certainty about what happened after the last time she was seen in the water.
He said many aspects of the case continue to puzzle the family who spent days in Granada helping authorities search for Liz before having to return to Cary, North Carolina.
Cailen questioned how Liz could have remained in or around the water for more than five hours after the last security camera footage without anyone else reporting seeing her.
He also noted there has been no known security footage from hotels lining Grand Anse Beach showing Liz during the missing hours, although he acknowledged the footage may not have been located.
The family also pointed out Liz had no cash with her, making it unlikely she could have bought food or water during the afternoon.
“This is a long time for her to be without those things — and she is usually all about hydration,” Cailen wrote.
Despite believing drowning is the most likely scenario, he said other possibilities cannot yet be ruled out.
He said Liz could have returned to shore or even boarded a boat, although there is currently no evidence supporting either theory.
Search crews have combed the coastline by boat and drone, while canine teams and volunteers searched nearby wooded areas, including Mount Hartman National Park.
“If she is on the island — it is exceedingly strange that she hasn’t attempted to contact anyone,” he wrote.
“I can see her making friends and hanging out with people for an afternoon… I can’t see her disappearing for two weeks.”
Cailen said the family has reviewed Liz’s journal, emails, text messages, WhatsApp conversations and YouTube history.
He said they found nothing suggesting she intended to harm herself.
Instead, he described journal entries focused on her personal growth and plans for the future with him and the rest of their family.
“If Liz swam out there, in my heart I believe something happened that made her not act rationally,” he wrote.
“The Liz I love, and have known for 23 years would not swim where she swam.”
He said the Royal Grenada Police Force continues to investigate Liz’s disappearance as an active missing persons case, and the family hopes detectives can fill in what he described as the “huge holes” in the timeline.
“It feels like I am missing some big piece of important information,” Cailen wrote.
“Liz loved a jigsaw puzzle. I think I might have the border complete, but the middle is a mess.”
Cailen also thanked friends, family, coworkers and staff at the US Embassy in Grenada for supporting him throughout the ordeal, saying he is taking life “one day at a time” while still waiting for answers.
