The best friend of a British woman who was last seen aboard her boyfriend’s luxury catamaran in the US Virgin Islands two weeks ago says the timeline of her disappearance “makes no sense.”
Sarm Heslop (41) from Southampton was last seen on the evening of March 7 aboard the 47-foot Siren Song, which was performed in Frank Bay, St. John, moored.
Her boyfriend Ryan Bane, 44, wakes up at 2am the next day when he is awakened by the anchor alarm of his charter vessel, which was about 100 meters from abroad.
He reportedly notified the U.S. Coast Guard about 10 hours after missing the former flight attendant.
Bane, a U.S. citizen, reportedly provided counsel and refused to allow authorities to search his trade.
“This timeline just doesn’t make sense to us,” Andrew Baldwin, 41, a friend of the missing woman for 25 years, told the Mirror.
“We know that Mr Bane called the local police at 02:30 and said he should call the Coast Guard,” he said. “According to the Coast Guard, Mr. Bane warned at 11:46 a.m. Monday that she had disappeared.
“We know they ate at a local restaurant and left at 10pm. What we do not know is what happened in that meantime,” Baldwin added.
A dog walker on the island reportedly heard a scream during the time Heslop was disappearing, reports The Sun.
Friends said they are not pointing the finger at Bane, who met Heslop on Tinder, but want her to be found.
“She would not just disappear and leave no trace. “She’s smart and smart, it’s not like her at all, it just does not count,” Baldwin told the Mirror.
Local police said Bane did not speak to them.
“Bale obtained the services of a lawyer,” said Mrs. Heslop, shortly afterwards, was reported missing, “police in the Virgin Islands said in a statement.
“On the advice of his lawyer, Mr. Bane exercised his constitutional right to remain silent and refused the officers’ requests to search the vessel.
“VIPD is continuing efforts to locate Ms. Heslop, conduct several searches daily, talk to potential witnesses and search for hours of surveillance video,” he said.
Bane’s attorney, David Cattie, said his client immediately called 911 when he realized his girlfriend was missing.
“Later that morning, at the request of Mr. Bane, the U.S. Coast Guard came to Mr. Bane’s vessel (Siren Song),” Cattie told Fox News. ‘Several USCG officers went on board and interviewed Mr. Lanes lined up on the vessel.
“At the request of Sarm’s family, Mr Bane transferred her personal belongings. [Virgin Islands Police Department], including her cell phone, iPad, passport, etc. ”
Heslop’s family said they were “shocked and upset” about her disappearance, adding: “We will never give up hope of searching for Sarm and we still have hopes of finding her safe.”