Sarm Heslop: BBC documentary explores the mystery around disappearance of British woman

Highlights:

• CCTV footage released to the BBC shows Sarm Heslop boarding a dinghy with boyfriend Ryan Bane on the night she vanished.
  
• Six hours later, she was reported missing from his yacht in the US Virgin Islands.
  
• Her body has never been found, and her disappearance remains unsolved.
  
• Police say the timeline provided by Bane is inconsistent with verified CCTV evidence.
  
• Friends and family continue to press for answers, calling for a murder investigation.
  

The last sighting

Newly released CCTV footage shows British woman Sarm Heslop and her boyfriend Ryan Bane leaving a bar in St John, US Virgin Islands, on 7 March 2021. The couple can be seen boarding a dinghy and motoring into the Caribbean night, heading for Bane’s yacht, Siren Song.

Six hours later, Sarm was reported missing. Despite an extensive search, she has never been found.

Who was Sarm Heslop?

Friends describe Sarm, 41, as a “free spirit” who embraced adventure. A former flight attendant, she left the UK in 2019 to sail across the Atlantic and explore the Caribbean. She later began working as a chef on Bane’s yacht, having met him in 2020.

Timeline inconsistencies

Bane told the US Coast Guard the couple returned to the yacht at 22:00. However, CCTV timestamps confirm they left Cruz Bay dock at 20:45 and would have reached the yacht by 21:00. The missing hour has never been accounted for.

Virgin Islands Police Commissioner Mario Brooks said the timeline raised suspicions and reiterated that Bane remains the only person of interest in the case.

Questions over the response

Bane reported Sarm missing at around 02:00 after claiming to wake and find her gone. Police say they told him to call the Coast Guard immediately, but he waited nine hours before making the call.

Experts stress that minutes are critical in such cases. “Waiting nine hours is decreasing the possibility of finding a person in the water,” said Commander Jan League of the US Coast Guard.

Refusal to cooperate

Bane has declined to be formally questioned by police, invoking his constitutional rights. He also blocked a forensic search of his yacht. Five weeks later, he left the Virgin Islands and has not returned.

Through his lawyer, Bane maintains he had no role in Sarm’s disappearance and believes she either fell overboard or drowned while swimming.

Concerns over past behaviour

Bane’s ex-wife, Cori Stevenson, described a violent assault during their marriage, for which he served a 60-day sentence. She alleged he displayed “rages” that left her fearing for her life.

His lawyer acknowledged the conviction but insisted there was no evidence Bane was violent towards Sarm.

Family’s search for answers

Sarm’s family and friends want the case reclassified as a no-body murder investigation, which they say would allow police greater powers. Her mother Brenda has accepted she may never see her daughter again but continues to push for justice.

“We all deserve to know what happened to her and to bring her home,” she said.

What next?

The US Virgin Islands Police say they remain committed to pursuing all leads, but the case is at a dead end without further evidence.

The BBC documentary Missing in Paradise: Searching for Sarm explores the unanswered questions surrounding her disappearance.