Body of Florida mom who vanished in 2012 found in pond near Disney World, divers say

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — A group of volunteer divers believe they have found the remains of a woman in a vehicle submerged in a retention pond near Walt Disney World, apparently solving a 12-year-old mystery about what happened to her.

Divers from Sunshine State Sonar said they believe they found the remains of Sandra Lemire on Saturday while diving in a small retention pond at the Disney World exit on Interstate 4 in Kissimmee, Florida.

Lemire disappeared in May 2012. She was last seen leaving a restaurant in Kissimmee, driving the minivan that was found.

The group of divers had been searching for Lemire in 63 bodies of water over the last year and a half. Last week, a tip from an Orlando Police Department detective about the location of a cellphone tower that last received a call from Lemire’s phone helped them narrow the search to the retention pond, the group said in a statement on social media.

“We located what appeared to be a minivan submerged in 14 feet of water,” the statement said. “Our team quickly suited up and dove on the vehicle to make the license plate confirmation.”

NBC’s Orlando affiliate WESH reported that police confirmed the vehicle is tied to the missing woman’s case. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is working on identifying the remains found in the vehicle.