Strong was last seen in the waters of Jetty Beach at Saint Andrews State Park in Panama City Beach, Florida on May 28, 2006. She was sitting on a raft with an adult cousin when the raft flipped over. The cousin was rescued from the water, but Strong had disappeared and has never been heard from again. An extensive search of the ocean surrounding the beach turned up no sign of her.

Authorities believe Strong most likely drowned and was swept out to sea, but her family believes she was abducted and is still alive. Her relatives believe they saw Strong on video surveillance cameras three times: one video was from a J. C. Penny store in Jacksonville, Florida; one was from a Golden Corral restaurant in Jacksonville, and the third was from a Walgreens store in Orlando, Florida. In September 2007, authorities announced they had identified the girl on the Orlando video and she was not Strong. They stated the child's family produced a birth certificate and other documents to prove she was their child. Her loved ones still believe she is alive and was in the other videos.

Strong resided in the 6400 block of east Meyer Drive in Morrow, Georgia at the time of her disappearance. Her parents have since moved from Georgia to Jacksonville to search for her; they believe she may be in the Orlando, Florida area. Investigators continue to believe she probably drowned. Her case remains unsolved.