Suvechha Sarkar
In March 2021, 41-year-old former flight attendant Sarm Joan Lillian Heslop suddenly went missing from a yacht, Siren Song, anchored near the Virgin Islands. Despite an extensive aerial and underwater search, authorities were unable to find any trace of her. However, while the authorities continued their investigation, her family and friends kept her case in the limelight through regular social media outreach and media interviews. NBC’s ‘Dateline: Siren Song’ sheds light on the mysterious circumstances in which Sarm went missing. The episode also features detailed interviews with two of her best friends and the officials who tried tirelessly to solve the case.
Sarm Heslop’s Whereabouts Remain a Mystery Even Today
Sarm Joan Lillian Heslop arrived as a blessing in the lives of Peter Heslop and Brenda Street sometime in 1980 in the UK. She grew up in a loving household with supportive parents who always cheered her on. Her friends described her as a bold and fearless individual who led a spontaneous lifestyle. Sarm cared deeply about her family and friends and loved swimming in her free time. After completing higher education and began her career as a Flight Attendant with FlyBe. She worked diligently in that position for years before moving on. She then focused on honing her culinary skills and began sharing her creations. Eventually, Sarm had the chance to travel across the Atlantic Ocean. Being an adventurer at heart, she embraced the opportunity.
When Sarm reached Grenada at the end of the trip, she crossed paths with Ryan Bane through a dating application. He used to charter his luxury yacht, Siren Song, to tourists at the time. While dating him, she left the Caribbean for Malta to work, but the pair remained in contact. Ultimately, Ryan called her back to his yacht for work. By 2021, she decided to pursue her passion for sailing and cooking by joining him in the Virgin Islands on the yacht. However, after living and working aboard Siren Song for only about two weeks, she unexpectedly went missing on March 7, 2021. Around 2:35 am on March 8, Ryan called 911 and claimed he had been sleeping on the boat, but when he woke up, he couldn’t find her.
When authorities rushed to the dock near where the yacht was anchored, Ryan approached them in a dinghy. According to a detective on the show, Sarm’s partner claimed his boat’s anchor alarm woke him. In his statements, Ryan claimed that it was possible Sarm might have fallen off Siren Song. When authorities searched the waters near the yacht, they found no trace of her. Shortly after, police asked him to contact the Coast Guard. When he informed the Coast Guard, they boarded the yacht and found Sarm’s phone and other personal belongings. After finding nothing else on the boat, they launched an extensive search. Sadly, despite extensive search efforts, she wasn’t found anywhere. As of writing, Sarm’s whereabouts remain unknown, and she is still considered missing.
Lack of Viable Leads Has Led Officials to Continue Investigating the Case
After Ryan reported Sarm missing, law enforcement first spoke to him. According to records, he told officials that on March 7, 2021, the pair had gone ashore around 6:30 pm to go to a dive bar for dinner. In his statements, he insisted that they had drinks at the eatery and spent approximately an hour and a half there before heading back. Police records indicate that when the restaurant owner was questioned, he told officials that Sarm and Ryan seemed in a good mood and had enjoyed themselves. As the search for the 41-year-old continued, authorities reportedly discovered a CCTV camera pointed at the area that captured Sam and Ryan getting into a dinghy and heading out to sea toward the yacht anchored in Cruz Bay. As per reports, the surveillance footage no longer captured them.
According to official reports, when investigators searched Sarm’s phone records, they all led to a dead end. Upon speaking with the occupants of the boats near Siren Song, detectives discovered that none of them had heard any commotion or disturbance the night she went missing, as per records. Further investigative reports indicate that when the authorities tried to speak to Ryan again, he refused to speak to them and retained an attorney. Moreover, he reportedly refused to let them aboard his yacht, raising concerns that it had not been properly searched the first time. As per an official’s statement, there wasn’t sufficient evidence against Ryan to obtain a search warrant, although they considered him a person of interest. Reports state that after the police advised him to contact the Coast Guard, he did so 9 hours later.
During the investigation, officials discovered that Ryan was involved in legal trouble. On November 27, 2011, he had reportedly assaulted his ex-wife, Cori Stevenson. Following that, he was reportedly arrested and charged with assault related to the case. According to court records, he eventually pleaded guilty to the charge in 2011 and was sentenced to 60 days in prison. However, Ryan was released after serving only 21 days in jail. It is essential to note that officials found no evidence against him in Sarm’s case and have not identified him as the suspect. He has also not been charged with any crime related to the missing-person case. In May 2021, the Virgin Islands Crime Stoppers program announced a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Her family’s Find Sarm campaign remains active even today, and the investigation is ongoing.
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