Missing North Carolina Mom Last Seen on Vacation in Grenada

WHO:

CBS News - Elizabeth Waddell, a 44-year-old North Carolina mother, went missing.

CBS News - Cailen Waddell is the husband of Elizabeth Waddell.

CBS News - Heather is a close friend of Elizabeth Waddell who was on vacation with her.

CBS News - Randy Connaught is the Acting Police Commissioner of the Royal Grenada Police Force.

WHAT:

[11:06 PM EDT] - CBS News - Cailen Waddell stated that Elizabeth Waddell was last seen swimming in the ocean near Grand Anse at around 5:30 PM, far from shore.

[11:06 PM EDT] - CBS News - Cailen Waddell mentioned that his wife communicated her confidence in her swimming and location, as well as the beauty of the island.

[11:06 PM EDT] - CBS News - A friend of Waddell, Amanda Romano-Harmon, stated that the last footage of Elizabeth showed her "floating" and "swimming around" before she vanished.

[11:06 PM EDT] - CBS News - Cailen Waddell stated that Elizabeth Waddell was last seen swimming in the ocean near Grand Anse at around 5:30 PM, far from shore.

[11:06 PM EDT] - CBS News - Cailen Waddell mentioned that his wife left the Airbnb she was sharing with Heather, and when she didn't return for hours, Heather went looking for her and found just her towel, but no other sign of her.

[11:06 PM EDT] - CBS News - A friend of Waddell, Amanda Romano-Harmon, stated that the last footage of Elizabeth showed her "floating" and "swimming around" before she vanished.

[11:06 PM EDT] - CBS News - Cailen Waddell stated that "no detail is too small" in the ongoing investigation into his wife's disappearance.

[11:06 PM EDT] - CBS News - Cailen Waddell described his wife as "a loving free-spirit person" and mentioned that she "could make friends with anyone and she often did."

[11:06 PM EDT] - CBS News - Cailen Waddell stated that eyewitnesses reported interacting with Elizabeth Waddell at about 5:30 p.m. further from shore on the day of her disappearance.

[11:06 PM EDT] - CBS News - Cailen Waddell mentioned that his wife communicated her confidence in her swimming and location, as well as the beauty of the island.

[11:06 PM EDT] - CBS News - A friend of Elizabeth Waddell, Amanda Romano-Harmon, described the last footage of her as showing her "floating" and "swimming around" before she vanished.

[11:06 PM EDT] - CBS News - Surveillance video showed Elizabeth Waddell walking toward a beachside pier at 11:30 a.m. and entering the water shortly after noon, with her friend seen heading toward the pier about 45 minutes later before returning alone.

CBS News - Elizabeth Waddell was last seen on security video swimming off Grand Anse Beach.

CBS News - Eyewitnesses reported interacting with Waddell at about 5:30 p.m. on the day of her disappearance.

CBS News - Cailen Waddell stated he believes "there was no foul play" in his wife's disappearance.

CBS News - Surveillance video showed Elizabeth Waddell walking toward a beachside pier around 11:30 a.m. before entering the water shortly after noon.

CBS News - A friend described surveillance footage showing Waddell "floating" and "swimming around" before she vanished.

WHERE:

CBS News - The incident occurred at Grand Anse Beach in Grenada.

CBS News - Elizabeth Waddell was staying at an Airbnb with her friend Heather.

WHEN:

[11:06 PM EDT] - CBS News - Elizabeth Waddell was last seen on July 22, with eyewitnesses reporting interactions with her at about 5:30 p.m. that same day.

CBS News - Elizabeth Waddell was last seen on July 22 swimming off Grand Anse Beach.

CBS News - Surveillance video captured Waddell entering the water shortly after noon on July 22.

WHY:

[11:06 PM EDT] - CBS News - Cailen Waddell stated that after careful consultation with family, local authorities, and the U.S. Embassy, he believes there was no foul play in his wife's disappearance.

CBS News - Cailen Waddell mentioned that after consulting with family, local authorities, and the U.S. Embassy, he believes there was no foul play.

HOW:

[11:06 PM EDT] - CBS News - The Royal Grenada Police Force is focusing on tracing Elizabeth Waddell's movements in the hours before her disappearance, and police have asked anyone with information on Waddell's whereabouts to contact authorities immediately.

[11:06 PM EDT] - CBS News - The Royal Grenada Police Force is focusing on tracing Elizabeth Waddell's movements in the hours before her disappearance.

CBS News - The investigation will focus on tracing Elizabeth Waddell's movements in the hours before her disappearance.

(UPDATED July 30, 2026 23:20 UTC)

Elizabeth Waddell was last seen swimming in the ocean near Grand Anse around 5:30 PM, far from shore, and her husband, Cailen Waddell, noted that she felt confident in her swimming abilities and was enjoying the beauty of the island. A friend, Amanda Romano-Harmon, reported that the last footage of Elizabeth showed her floating and swimming before she vanished. The Royal Grenada Police Force is now working to trace Elizabeth's movements leading up to her disappearance and is urging anyone with information to contact authorities right away.

(UPDATED July 30, 2026 19:28 UTC)

Elizabeth Waddell was last seen swimming in the ocean near Grand Anse around 5:30 PM, far from shore, according to her husband, Cailen Waddell. After she failed to return to their Airbnb, her friend Heather went searching and only found her towel, with no other signs of her. The Royal Grenada Police Force is now investigating her movements leading up to her disappearance and is urging anyone with information to come forward.

(UPDATED July 30, 2026 14:43 UTC)

In the ongoing investigation into his wife's disappearance, Cailen Waddell emphasized that "no detail is too small" and described Elizabeth as "a loving free-spirit person" who could easily make friends. Elizabeth was last seen on July 22, with eyewitnesses reporting interactions with her around 5:30 p.m. that day. The Royal Grenada Police Force is currently concentrating on tracing her movements in the hours leading up to her disappearance.

(UPDATED July 30, 2026 08:49 UTC)

Eyewitnesses reported seeing Elizabeth Waddell interacting at about 5:30 p.m. on the day she disappeared, with her husband, Cailen Waddell, noting that she expressed confidence in her swimming abilities and the beauty of the island. A friend described the last footage of Elizabeth as showing her "floating" and "swimming around" before she vanished, while surveillance video captured her walking toward a beachside pier at 11:30 a.m. and entering the water shortly after noon. Cailen Waddell has stated that after consulting with family, local authorities, and the U.S. Embassy, he believes there was no foul play involved in his wife's disappearance.

(UPDATED July 30, 2026 03:57 UTC)

Elizabeth Waddell, a 44-year-old mother from North Carolina, went missing while swimming off Grand Anse Beach in Grenada, with her last known sighting captured on surveillance video shortly after noon on July 22. Her husband, Cailen Waddell, expressed his belief that there was no foul play involved, following discussions with family, local authorities, and the U.S. Embassy. The investigation is now concentrating on tracing Elizabeth's movements in the hours leading up to her disappearance, as eyewitnesses reported seeing her interacting with others around 5:30 p.m. on that same day.