The ongoing search for the missing 21-year-old Florida woman, Arielle Valdes, ended on Monday after her body was found in mangroves on the northern bank of the river between the Edison and Caloosahatchee bridges. Valdes went missing five days ago after she left for her solo run.
Cause of Death Unknown
The search for the missing woman was undertaken via land, air, water by the authorities. USA Today reported that Valdes' family claimed that she was training for a marathon and running long distances.
Traffic cameras captured Valdes jogging toward the Edison Bridge around 6:50 p.m. on August 28, dressed in a hoodie, a sweater, gym shorts, and black Converse sneakers.
Over the weekend, the Lee County Sheriff's Office announced that it was ramping up the search efforts. This included deploying marine and aviation resources, drones, K9 units, and the Forensics Division.
In a statement the sheriff's office claimed that there was no evidence to indicate foul play in Valdes's death. The cause of death will be ascertained by the local Medical Examiner's Office.
Social Media Mourns the Loss
In a post shared by the grieving family on Facebook, it was stated that the 21-year-old had been having panic attacks as of very recently and has not been speaking much the last week. Valdes' sister, Isabella Hergert, described her as "Too good for this world," adding, "I love you and I will see you again in every lifetime. You are a piece of my soul that I will always look for."
Following the discovery of the body, the family extended gratitude to the helpers during the search operations. "Whether you searched on foot for hours, drove across the county, brought out your boats, flew drones, reached out to businesses for footage, or donated to help her family, you have been our strength," the family said on Facebook.
The social media users paid tribute to the 21-year-old. "Love bless Ms. Valdes... Love bless her family and friends... What a terrible tragedy here, hopefully all that can be found out will be to make sure they get to the bottom of this case," a user wrote on X.
