Amanda Lynn Webster, 44, of Indiana, who was vacationing on the island, was reported missing October 11 by the owner of her rental after she failed to complete the checkout process, according to police in Puerto Rico.
SAN JUAN (NBC) — Authorities in Puerto Rico discovered a body in a river last week and are investigating if the remains belong to Amanda Lynn Webster, a tourist reported missing from Indiana.
The body, which could be a woman’s, was found in a river in Naguabo, in the southeast region of the island, police in Puerto Rico said in a statement in Spanish on Saturday.
The body was found by a team, in the area, carrying out a search for the missing tourist, police said.
“The body was found upside down floating in a rocky area of the river,” police said. They noted that at the time of the statement, it was not possible to identify the gender of the body or conclude if “it shows signs of violence.”
Police suspect the body may belong to Webster, 44, “who was on vacation on the island from the state of Indiana,” police said.
Webster’s relatives could not be immediately reached Wednesday afternoon. Police in Puerto Rico were also not immediately reached for an update on the case.
Webster was the focus of missing person’s investigation by police with the Criminal Investigations Corps since Oct.11, police said.
That’s when Webster was reported missing by the owner of the place she was staying at, police said, after she didn’t complete the checking out process and left her belongings and car rental on the property.
Police, personnel with State Emergency Management and the U.S. Forest Service, searched a wooded area where she had been previously seen, police said.
An “Ashanti Alert,” police said, was issued for Webster. The alert is activated for missing adults whose safety is compromised, police said. It also applies when citizens alert police of missing person who may have a mental disability, police said.
By ANTONIO PLANAS/NBC
Antonio Planas is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.