Devastated friend of missing North Carolina woman Elizabeth Waddell reveals warning sign after disappearance from Airbnb

THE friend of a missing physical therapist who vanished in the Caribbean has recalled the moment alarm bells rang after she failed to return from a solo swim. Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Waddell, 44, from Cary, North Carolina, was last seen on July 22, while on vacation in Grenada. Elizabeth Waddell vanished on a vacation in St. George’s, Grenada this month Credit: Facebook/Liz Adora Waddell The 44-year-old physical therapist seen with her husband Cailen on a separate trip Credit: Facebook/Liz Waddell Friend Amanda Romano-Harmon (center on her wedding day) with her longtime friend Waddell (far left) Credit: Courtesy of Amanda Romano-Harmon Amanda said Waddell went the the pier on the beach for a solo swim without her cell phone Credit: Alamy She was staying at an Airbnb close to Grand Anse Beach in St. George’s with a close friend, Heather, and went onto the beach at 8pm local time. Family and friends back home were alerted when she failed to return and her towel was found left behind. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Amanda Romano-Harmon, who has known Waddell for decades, said her husband Shawn has joined the group of nine who have flown out to help with the search. They also include Waddell’s husband, Cailen, who has called for “nothing less than Liz’s safe return” in an emotional Facebook post. In an exclusive interview with The U.S. Sun, Amanda said Heather was on a Zoom call when Waddell told her she was going for a swim. “What I was told is that her towel was found down at the pier,” she said. “I believe it was actually on the pier itself. “She went down there on her own. Heather was actually finishing an online course at the time.” Most read in The Sun “I believe she’s finishing up a master’s or a doctorate. “I mean, she is an okay swimmer. She can hold her own, [but] obviously none of us can tread water this long. “From what I’ve been told, the conditions at the time were extremely calm, the bay was very shallow so she would have been able to touch [the bottom] but obviously the bay does open to the ocean.” The Royal Grenada Police Force described Waddell as 5 ft 5 inches, with a medium build and short blonde hair in a news release appealing for help from locals and tourists. Amanda explained that Waddell went down to the pier in just her bathing suit and did not take her cell phone. “She was just going to go pass time while Heather was finishing her online course,” she said, adding that her disappearance is “100 percent out of character.” She went on, “We do an annual 4th of July camping trip and we were together. Police have put out a press release for the missing person’s case, showing her with pink hair Credit: Facebook/Cailen Waddell “So at the beginning of this month she was telling me how excited she was about the trip and different things that she wanted to see and do on the island. “There’s apparently a big, beautiful waterfall. And she was hiring a chef. “The chef was going to go with them and he was going to cook local things while they were up at the waterfall. “So that was one of the things that were coming up this next week because they had planned to be there for around three weeks. “The schedule was they were flying home next Friday. “Her friend picks a different island each summer and goes and visits and see what that island has to offer and Liz had time and said that she would go with her and, you know, they’ve traveled together before.” Amanda, whose husband, Shawn, was Cailen’s college roommate and served as best man at the couple’s wedding, said Waddell and her husband also have an older adopted daughter. Talking about the couple, Amanda said, “They’re adventurous. They adore each other, the way they take care of each other. “They love traveling. They love going on trips. They’re very active in their community at home. “Liz is a doctor of physical therapy and has her own practice with the art of movement. And Cailen works for the town of Cary helping organize fun things for the community. “We love them and [would] do anything for them.” She described family and friends as being “destroyed, stressed, and fatigued,” trying to figure out her last steps and making sure they leave no stone unturned. Amanda said she has been in constant contact with Cailen since he arrived in Grenada. “Liz has an identical twin sister who landed in Grenada on Saturday as well as Caitlin and Liz’s daughter and her boyfriend. “So there’s nine people there now. My husband got on a flight early this morning and he should land there anytime now today. “They’re on the ground and they’re just trying to do everything they can. “They’re trying to trace last steps, get the word out, see if anybody recalls her face. “The Coast Guard there has been extremely helpful. They’ve had boats out. They’ve had dive teams out for multiple days. “One of the excursions, they have glass-bottomed boats and the glass-bottomed boat instructors actually took the boats out without people looking [for Liz].” Comment now