The family of missing runner Arielle Valdes, whose body was found by authorities after a five-day search, said she was someone who appreciated “all the beauties in life.”
“The message she would want to say is to be present with your loved ones,” sister Isabella Hergert told NBC affiliate WBBH. “Know what’s important before it’s taken away.”
Arielle’s sister also paid tribute to her sister in a Facebook post on Tuesday, Sept. 3.
“There are no words to express what I’m feeling,” Hergert wrote. “I have new eyes for this world and I am so blessed I got to experience you and call you my sister.”
Valdes disappeared on Wednesday, Aug. 28, after leaving her home to go on a run at the 90th block of Mariana Avenue in North Fort Myers around 6:30 p.m. local time, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office(LCSO).
According to footage shared by the LCSO, Valdes appeared to be running southbound on U.S. Route 41 around 6:45 p.m. that same evening. Cameras also showed her heading southbound toward the Edison Bridge about 10 minutes later.
Five days after she was reported missing, the LCSO reported that remains of a woman believed to be Valdes were found during a search along the Caloosahatchee River in North Fort Myers.
“Preliminarily, there is no evidence to indicate that foul play was involved,” police said on Sept. 2. “Our hearts remain with Arielle’s family and loved ones as they navigate the coming days.”
Although additional details about her death have not yet been shared by authorities, a police report obtained by PEOPLE on Wednesday, Sept. 4, stated that the family had concerns about Valdes in the days before her disappearance and that her mom believed she was experiencing “some sort of mental crisis.”
In the wake of her death, the Facebook group “Finding Arielle Valdes” shared that there will be a candlelit memorial walkscheduled for this Sunday, September 8, in Fort Myers.
“As a community we are all heartbroken by this tragic loss,” read the event description. “We hoped, prayed and searched with the family. We are devastated by the outcome but are reminded how powerful the sense of community can be.”
Hergert also organized a GoFundMe, which has raised over $8,000 as of Wednesday, Sept. 4.
