Missing Sarm Heslop: Parents head to Caribbean for answers

A year after Sarm Heslop vanished, what happened to the former flight attendant is still not known

The parents of a British woman who vanished from her boyfriend's yacht off the US Virgin Islands a year ago have flown out to seek answers.

Ryan Bane reported Sarm Heslop, from Southampton, missing from his boat off St John on 8 March 2021.

The boat has never been searched and Mr Bane has not been questioned by police.

Her parents, Peter Heslop and Brenda Street, hope being on the island will help them piece together the last known movements of their daughter.

Brenda Street and Peter Heslop have flown out to the US Virgin Islands to seek answers over their daughter's disappearance

Ms Heslop, a former flight attendant who is now 42, had been staying and working with Mr Bane, a US citizen, on the catamaran.

Her friends said they feel that authorities in both the US Virgin Islands and the UK "could still do a lot more" to support the investigation into her disappearance.

She is known to have come ashore from the vessel and had dinner in a restaurant in St John with Mr Bane on 7 March. At the time the island was under a 22:00 local-time Covid curfew.

He reported her missing to police at 02:30 on 8 March but it was a further nine hours before he called the coastguard, shortly after 11:45.

Ms Heslop's possessions, including her bank cards and mobile phone, were still onboard the catamaran when she vanished.

In November, it emerged Mr Bane had put the boat, Siren Song, up for sale for $229,000 (£167,800), having removed its name. It is not known if the yacht has been sold to new owners.

Sarm Heslop had been staying on the catamaran, Siren Song, with her boyfriend, Ryan Bane

Friends of Ms Heslop in the UK have led efforts with her family to piece together what happened to her and offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information.

They said: "We are a whole year on from learning of her disappearance and yet we still only have the same handful of facts about what happened that night."

Ms Heslop's friends said her parents were being accompanied to St John by consul from Miami following a meeting with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

US citizen Mr Bane reported Sarm Heslop missing to police at 02:30 on 8 March

Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) spokesman, Glen Dratte, confirmed the island's police authorities were set to meet with the Heslop family.

In April, the force said detectives had been unable to confirm if she was onboard the catamaran as reported by Mr Bane on 7 March.

Mr Bane, the last person to have seen her, has declined detectives' request for an interview, according to VIPD.

Ms Heslop's friends said: "We have been so grateful to Hampshire police for assisting the VIPD with the investigation but we are absolutely gutted that they are now not accompanying Sarm's parents.

"We feel that the US Virgin Islands and UK authorities could still do a lot more to support the investigation."

They added: "The investigation has stalled and no one seems willing to push harder for Sarm. She is a UK citizen and she is missing. She deserves more."

Hampshire Constabulary's DI Matt Gillooly, said: "Sarm's disappearance is understandably troubling and, as such, Hampshire Constabulary has been providing operational support in the UK to assist the US Virgin Islands Police Department investigation.

"We are working with the Government's Foreign, Commonwealth, & Development Office (FCDO) to support Sarm Heslop's family in the UK. Her family is being supported by the FCDO when they travel to the US Virgin Islands and this is entirely appropriate."