After a long and heart-wrenching search spanning over a decade, the mystery of Sandra Lemire’s disappearance might finally be nearing a resolution. Volunteer divers from Sunshine State Sonar discovered a submerged minivan in a retention pond near Walt Disney World in central Florida, believed to contain the remains of Lemire, who went missing in 2012.
The divers, known for assisting law enforcement in finding missing persons and vehicles in Florida’s waterways, located the vehicle last Saturday at a retention pond off the Disney World exit on Interstate 4 in Kissimmee. Their discovery came after a year and a half of searching 63 different bodies of water for Lemire.
The moment of discovery was captured in a video posted on the group’s Facebook page, showing diver Mike Sullivan emerging triumphantly from the pond. “We got her! We got her!” he exclaimed, a sentiment that reverberated through the entire team. Sullivan, who initially suspected foul play, later acknowledged to WESH in Orlando that it appeared to be a tragic car accident.
The peculiar geography of Florida, dotted with retention ponds, rivers, lakes, and canals, coupled with the high influx of out-of-state visitors, has often led to similar unfortunate discoveries. This phenomenon was seen in the case of an Alabama man found 28 years after his disappearance and a teenage couple discovered 37 years later.
A crucial tip from an Orlando Police Department detective regarding the last location of a call from Lemire’s phone played a significant role in narrowing down the search area to the retention pond. Once the minivan was located submerged in 14 feet of water, the team immediately set to work to confirm the vehicle’s license plate.
The discovery has brought a mix of relief and sadness to Lemire’s family. Her son, Timothy Lemire, expressed his enduring hope and gratitude towards the volunteer divers for their unwavering efforts in finding his mother. “You just can’t lose hope and I almost did,” he said. “But the Sunshine State Sonar did an amazing job solving this case. Without them, none of this would have been possible.”
While the medical examiner’s office in Orlando is yet to confirm the identity of the remains, and the Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the crash’s cause, this development brings a significant breakthrough in a case that has long remained unsolved.