- CCTV footage shows Sarm Heslop’s last known moments with boyfriend Ryan Bane before her disappearance.
- Sarm went missing on March 7, 2021, from Bane’s catamaran, leaving her passport, phone, and money behind.
- Timeline discrepancies in CCTV and Bane’s account raise questions about an unaccounted hour.
- US Virgin Islands police classify the case as missing person; family wants it reclassified as a no-body murder investigation.
- Coast Guard search started 11 hours after she was reported missing; unusual for a person lost at sea to leave no trace.
- Bane has never been charged; he invoked rights limiting searches and questioning.
- Family and friends continue to seek answers despite case appearing stalled.
Newly released CCTV footage shows the final recorded moments of British woman Sarm Heslop, who disappeared from a luxury yacht in the US Virgin Islands on March 7, 2021. The footage, obtained exclusively by the BBC, shows Sarm and her boyfriend Ryan Bane boarding a dinghy and heading toward his anchored catamaran, Siren Song. She was reported missing six hours later, leaving her passport, phone, and money behind.
Sarm, 41, had been sailing across the Caribbean after leaving the UK in 2019. Friends describe her as adventurous, unafraid to take on new challenges. She joined Bane’s yacht as a chef shortly before her disappearance.
The CCTV footage indicates an unexplained gap in the timeline. Bane claimed they returned to the yacht around 22:00, but the timestamps show the dinghy departing the dock at 20:45, suggesting a missing hour unaccounted for. The US Virgin Islands police commissioner highlighted the unexplained period as a key concern, though Bane’s lawyer dismissed it as a possible misjudgment under stress.
The case remains classified as a missing person investigation. Sarm’s family wants it upgraded to a no-body murder inquiry to allow a broader investigation. Friends and family have criticized the slow response in alerting the US Coast Guard, which began its search 11 hours after Sarm was reported missing. Experts note it is unusual for someone to fall overboard and never be found.
Bane has never been formally charged or questioned in connection with Sarm’s disappearance. He invoked constitutional rights to limit searches and questioning. Reports also highlight his prior conviction for domestic violence against an ex-wife, although there is no evidence he was violent toward Sarm.
Despite the case reaching a seeming dead end, Sarm’s loved ones remain determined to uncover the truth. Her mother Brenda said the family will not give up, emphasizing their need for closure and justice.
