Dateline: Unforgettable is examining the disappearance of Sarm Heslop, a British woman who vanished while vacationing with her American boyfriend, Ryan Bane, in the US Virgin Islands.
Heslop was last seen on the evening of March 7, 2021, as she left a bar with her boyfriend, yacht captain Ryan Bane. At about 2:30 a.m. the following day, Bane contacted the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) to report the 41-year-old missing.
Heslop and Bane had been staying aboard his 47ft catamaran called the Siren Song, which was moored about 120 ft off the shore of St John island in Cruz Bay.
Bane told the authorities and Heslop’s family that the pair had watched a movie after dinner and that he’d fallen asleep at some point. He said he awoke when an anchor alarm sounded, and after checking everything was ok, he realized Heslop was missing.
He contacted the police to report her missing, but for some reason, the Coastguard was not informed until noon the same day, over nine hours after she disappeared.
According to the Daily Mail, Bane allegedly refused permission for the US Coast Guard and the Virgin Islands Police Department to search his yacht. He was accused of barring entry to the officials and was given a citation for his refusal to allow them aboard.
There has been no sign of Sarm Heslop and the search continues
A search was launched for Heslop, and many volunteers from all over the Virgin Islands came to search the area around Cruz Bay, but so far, without any luck.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelHeslop’s family has been critical of the VIPD, accusing them of botching the investigation and refusing to answer their questions.
Brenda Street, Heslop’s mother, has been especially critical of the VIPD, claiming they have pushed the case “under the carpet.” She said, “They didn’t go to the boat to check she was there. They didn’t tell the Coastguard. If she had fallen overboard, the Coastguard would have been there immediately, not nine hours later.”
Street also claimed that the FBI and British detectives offered help to the local police, but they were turned down.
She has also admitted that she believes her daughter is dead, stating, “I feel I should grieve…. I imagine her as a mermaid…. If she is in the ocean because she loved the ocean.”
The Virgin Islands Police Dept says the hunt for Sarm Heslop is an ongoing investigation
The VIPD said they send their “thoughts and prayers” to Heslop’s loved ones and are still working on the case.
The police described Heslop as a 41-year-old caucasian female of unknown height and weight with a tattoo on her left shoulder.
Anyone with any information on Heslop’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Criminal Investigation Bureau at (340) 774-2211 or Crime Stoppers USVI at (800) 222-TIPS or dial 911.
Dateline: Unforgettable airs Thursdays at 8/7c on Oxygen.