Body Found in Puerto Rico River amid Search for Indiana Art Teacher Who Disappeared on Vacation

Amanda Lynn Webster, 44, a teacher at Thompson Crossing Elementary School, was reported missing on Oct. 11

A body has been discovered in a Puerto Rico river amid a search for a missing art teacher from Indiana who disappeared while on vacation.

The lifeless body was found floating in a rocky area of the river running along the Rio Blanco neighborhood in the Camino Viejo sector of Naguabo on Saturday morning, according to a news release from the Puerto Rico Police, which was written in Spanish.

Authorities said they believed the body may belong to a woman, but that had not yet been confirmed. "At this stage, it is not possible to identify the gender of the body or conclude whether it shows signs of violence," police said in a translation of the release.

The police said they have been looking for Amanda Lynn Webster, 44, since Wednesday, Oct. 11, after she was reported missing when the owner of the property where she was staying realized she had left her belongings and a rental car on site.

Related: Calif. Woman, 32, Goes Missing on Cross-Country Road Trip, Car Found Abandoned with 2 Flat Tires

Although the body has not been identified, some close to Webster  — an art teacher at Thompson Crossing Elementary School, according to the school’s website  — have said they believe she is dead, friend Sharon Rickson told the Indianapolis Star.

“(Webster) was an incredible, positive light for her friends and family,” Rickson told the outlet. “A lot of people are going to be feeling this loss."

Over the weekend, Pamela Webster, identified by The New York Post as Amanda’s mother, thanked others for their "support and prayers."

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"Amanda was an amazing teacher who was a champion for every student she came in contact with," the Franklin Township Community School Corporation said in a statement, according to Indianapolis Star. "We are all better off for knowing Amanda."

The school and its district did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

Related: Body of Missing 2-Year-Old Boy with Autism Found in Michigan River: 'Pray for the Family'

Rickson told NBC affiliate WTHR that "there's hundreds if not thousands of lives she directly impacted."

"A lot of people are going to be feeling this loss," added Rickson.

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