NEW UPDATE: Police just RESTORED the final CCTV footage of Lia Smith in the pool — at 20 seconds, something happens that no one can explain A stunning new development has emerged in the mysterious case of Lia Smith, the young swimmer whose sudden disappearance has baffled both investigators and the public for weeks.
Police have successfully restored the final CCTV footage captured inside the local training pool on the night she was last seen. The recovered video, just under 40 seconds long, shows Lia swimming alone under dim lights — her signature blue cap visible through the rippling water.
For the first 20 seconds, everything appears normal: she moves calmly, turns, and heads back toward the shallow end. But at exactly the 20-second mark, something happens that experts can’t yet explain.
Lia suddenly stops mid-stroke, turns her head sharply toward the edge of the pool — and stares straight into the camera. Investigators reviewing the footage described the look on her face as “frozen — like she recognized something, or someone.” Moments later, the video flickers, the frame distorts, and the recording cuts off completely.
Authorities confirmed the footage had been corrupted for months before digital forensics restored it earlier this week. They are now analyzing the final frames to determine whether there was a reflection, a shadow, or a person near the water’s edge.
One officer involved in the restoration said quietly, “It’s not just a glitch — it feels like she saw something we still can’t see.” The full recording has not been released to the public, but police say it may hold the key to understanding what really happened in the final minutes before Lia Smith vanished.