Florida Divers Find Van in Pond, May Solve 11-Year-Old Missing Woman Case

Photo by@Sunshine State Sonar/dailymail.co

• Volunteer group Sunshine State Sonar claims to have found the remains of Sandra Lemire, who disappeared in 2012.
• Lemire, a mother of three, vanished after a date with a man she met on SpeedDate.com.
• The search team found a van submerged in a pond near Disney World, believed to be Lemire's, along with her personal belongings.

In a significant development, the volunteer search group Sunshine State Sonar has announced the discovery of what they believe are the remains of Sandra Lemire, a 47-year-old woman from Orlando who went missing in 2012.

Lemire, a mother of three, disappeared after leaving a date with a man she had met on the now-defunct dating website SpeedDate.com. The group reported finding a van submerged in a pond near Disney World, which matched the description of Lemire's vehicle, including the license plates.

The story of Lemire's disappearance began when she left for a date in May 2012, driving her grandmother's red Ford Freestyle van. Despite video surveillance confirming her meeting with the man, a manager at a local McDonald's, he was eventually ruled out as a suspect by the police. Her family, including her son Tim Lemire, Jr., had been worried about her safety, especially considering her medical condition requiring insulin.

Sunshine State Sonar's extensive search, spanning 17 months and covering 63 bodies of water, was assisted by the Orlando Police Department. The discovery was made in a retention pond at the Disney World exit on Interstate 4, where the van lay under 14 feet of water. The recovery operation was supported by local law enforcement agencies.

While the medical examiner's office has not yet formally identified the remains as Lemire's, the find marks a potential closure to a mystery that has lasted over a decade. The nonprofit Sunshine State Sonar, known for using sonar technology in its search and rescue operations, has previously aided in locating several missing persons. The details surrounding the crash, including the specific date and time, are still under investigation.

SOURCE