British Woman Disappears from Luxury Yacht in Caribbean Under Mysterious Circumstances
British woman Sarm Heslop vanished from a charter yacht in the US Virgin Islands in 2021. Despite extensive searches, no trace has been found. Timeline inconsistencies and unanswered questions remain.
Mysterious Disappearance on Siren Song
On the night of March 7, 2021, British chef and former flight attendant Sarm Heslop vanished from the 49-foot charter yacht Siren Song, anchored off St John in the US Virgin Islands. Footage released exclusively to INLIBER captures her and her boyfriend, American captain Ryan Bane, leaving a bar and motoring toward the yacht.
Six hours later, Bane reported her missing. Despite a search by the US Coast Guard, no sign of Heslop has been found. Bane, who remains the only person of interest, has never been formally questioned, and his account contains a critical one-hour gap.
Timeline Discrepancy Raises Questions
CCTV timestamps show the couple leaving the dock at 8:45pm local time, suggesting they reached the yacht around 9pm. Yet Bane told authorities they returned at 10pm. Police Commissioner Mario Brooks labels the discrepancy "suspicious" and urges further questioning of Bane, whose lawyer calls the claim "irresponsible."
Delayed Alert and Search Efforts
Bane first alerted police at 2am, but waited nine hours before notifying the Coast Guard at 11:46am. Commander Jan League of the US Coast Guard warns that "minutes count" in overboard cases, and such a delay diminishes the chance of finding someone alive. The initial safety sweep of the yacht was the only forensic examination, as Bane invoked his Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights to block a full search and decline questioning.
Past Allegations and Family Appeal
Heslop’s family and friends, who describe her as a "free spirit," demand the case be reclassified as a homicide investigation. An investigator retained by the family argues that in the UK, police would have treated it as a likely crime scene with a swift arrest. Heslop’s mother, Brenda, says, "We deserve to know what happened and to bring her home."
Despite extensive searches and a detailed timeline, Sarm Heslop’s disappearance remains unsolved. A missing hour and initial delays in raising the alarm have left investigators and her family seeking answers.
This topic was reported by BBC.
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