Sarm Heslop, a 41-year-old Southampton resident, had been sailing on her American boyfriend's catamaran when she went missing on March 8, 2021. She had worked as a chef and hostess in the luxury yacht industry and lived on Ryan Bane's catamaran, which was moored in Frank Bay, near the coast of Saint John.
Heslop and Bane had been to a restaurant on the mainland before retiring for the night. However, the former is said to have disappeared around 2 a.m. According to The Independent, she is said to have fallen overboard. Since then, Bane has consistently refused to allow the authorities to search his boat. There has also been no sign of Heslop so far, prompting her mother Brenda Street to tell BBC News:
“Now, after two years, it is not possible for her to be missing. I don't think she's still alive – I want to be able to find her and bring her home. Sarm would never subject her family and friends to this torment, this pain. “Heartbreak for so long.”
The “Dateline Unforgettable” episode titled “Siren Song” aired on January 25, 2024 at 8pm EST on Oxygen and featured the mysterious disappearance of Sarm Heslop. The summary was:
“A mystery in paradise unfolds when Sarm Heslop disappears from her boyfriend's yacht. In a case that made international headlines, Andrea Canning recounts her memorable journey in search of a particular person of interest.”
“I imagine her as a mermaid…When she's in the sea because she loves the sea,” shared Sarm Heslop's mother Brenda Street
Sarm Heslop was last seen leaving the 420 to Center Bar in Cruz Bay in St. John. Heslop had sailed around the U.S. Virgin Islands with her boyfriend Ryan Bane and worked as a cook and hostess for private charter flights.
It has been 2 years, 10 months and 18 days since Sarm Heslop disappeared from the 47ft catamaran named Siren Song. Heslop's chef friend Ryan Bane had alerted the Virgin Islands Police Department about 2:30 a.m. that evening, but it took another nine hours to alert the U.S. Coast Guard.
Speaking exclusively to BBC News, Sarm Heslop's mother Brenda Street expressed her belief that her missing daughter may be dead. She said,
“I imagine her as a mermaid…When she's in the sea, because she loves the sea.”
As for the investigation, the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) was reportedly unable to confirm much about Heslop's whereabouts on the night of Heslop's disappearance or afterward. Street further emphasized:
“They just seem to be trying to sweep it under the rug. I received an email from VIPD a few weeks ago. This is the first time in 18 months. It said: 'I hope you are well, do you have any further information?' ?' “My relationship with the authorities is non-existent, they just ignore us. “We sent a long list of questions – legitimate and legal – but they simply didn't respond to us.”
When Ryan Bane moved to a remote part of the islands and denied authorities access to his boat, the VIPD reportedly did not make much effort in that direction, according to Brenda Street's comments. She added:
“They didn’t go to the boat to check if she was there. They didn't tell the Coast Guard. If she had fallen overboard, the Coast Guard would have been there immediately, not nine hours later. The FBI and Hampshire Police have offered assistance but they have been rejected.”
The VIPD responded in a statement saying:
“The Virgin Islands Police Department continues to send thoughts and prayers to Sarm Helsop’s family, friends and colleagues. The VIPD Criminal Investigations Bureau continues to work on this.”
Friends and family of Sarm Heslop have set up a Facebook page called “Missing Person: Sarm Heslop” and are continuing to offer a $10,000 reward for information in the case.
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