Sandra Lemire: Body found in pond identified as Orlando mom who vanished over a decade ago, family confirms

ORLANDO, Fla. - A body was found inside a submerged vehicle in a retention pond near Walt Disney World Resort Sunday morning, according to the Orlando Police Department.

The remains were identified as Sandra Lemire, an Orlando woman who disappeared more than a decade ago, a family member confirmed to FOX 35 News. 

A volunteer civilian dive group called Sunshine State Sonar alerted authorities to the submerged 2004 Ford Freestar van that was located in a body of water along World Drive, south of Walt Disney World Resort. Dive teams from the sheriff's offices in Orange and Osceola counties assisted in locating the human remains, which were not immediately identified by officials.

The Orlando Police Department said Tuesday that the red vehicle found in the water on World Drive "is tied to the missing person case of Sandra Lemire," and that they are still working on ID'ing the human remains found inside the vehicle. 

The crash is presently under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. A preliminary report by the FHP states that a Ford Freestar van was traveling on the State Road 417 southbound exit ramp to World Drive when, for unknown reasons, the van's driver ran off the roadway and entered a retention pond. As a result, it became completely submerged. The specific date and time of when the crash occurred remains under investigation.

Sunshine State Sonar posted on its social media that the submerged vehicle was tied to its search for the missing Orlando mother, in collaboration with OPD.

"In a collaborative effort with detectives from Orlando Police Department, a total of 63 bodies of water were searched over the last 17 months. The first search took place on July 2, 2022. Last week, detectives from Orlando Police provided additional information that prompted this weekend’s search," the post stated.

Sandra Lemire disappearance

Lemire was last seen by her family on May 8, 2012, after leaving her grandmother's home where she lived in Orlando, according to a Crimeline flyer the Orlando Police Department shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, back in 2022. 

She was reportedly on her way to the city of Kissimmee to meet with a man she had met online through a dating service.

Officials said she called her grandmother when she arrived in Kissimmee but failed to let her know when she was on her way back home. 

Lemire was last seen leaving a Kissimmee restaurant driving in the red van found in the pond, which Crimeline said belonged to her grandmother. 

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.