Sarm Heslop’s family beg UK authorities to join search for missing woman

Sarm Heslop remains missing, 11 days after vanishing from a luxury charter yacht in the US Virgin Islands

Sarm Heslop’s parents have pleaded with UK authorities to help the search in the US Virgin Islands after their daughter vanished from her boyfriend’s catamaran.

Ms Heslop’s family have spoken of their agony, 11 days after their “beautiful and cherished daughter” vanished from the 47ft luxury charter yacht in St John.

The 41-year old from Southampton, who is described as 5ft7, Caucasian and with a tattoo on her left arm, had been staying with Ryan Bane, her American boyfriend.

The couple had had dinner on the island and returned to the boat to sleep. When Mr Bane woke up at 2am on March 8, Ms Heslop was nowhere to be found.

On Thursday, it was reported that a dog walker had heard a scream near Frank’s Bay, where the yacht is anchored roughly 100 metres from shore in shallow water.

Sarm Heslop's family have called for an 'immediate and urgent' search of the boat

Friends of Ms Heslop, who set up the Facebook page FindSarmHeslop, have called for “immediate and urgent” search of the boat, which the USVI police department has yet to confirm it has done.

In a statement, Ms Heslop’s family said they were “shocked and distraught” at her disappearance and asked for assurance that USVI authorities were “doing everything possible to find her”, including a “comprehensive fingertip search of the boat”.

They went on to plead with British authorities to assist in the search. “Our daughter is a UK citizen and we ask for all of the support that the UK authorities have to offer,” they said.

Thanking the local people of St John, who have voluntarily scoured the coastline, they added: “We will never give up looking for Sarm and we still have hope of finding her safe.”

Virgin Islands – Missing sailor locator map

Sue Hill, a former detective chief superintendent for the Metropolitan Police, joined Ms Heslop’s friends on ITV’s This Morning, as they pleaded for anyone with any information to come forward.

Ms Hill said that the local police force did not have the same “expertise and experience” that Britain did, but that the USVI would have to request assistance for authorities in the UK to help.

“It is so frustrating when you’re sitting here and thinking, the first thing I would have done – and I’m not criticising them – is I’d have been on that boat and assessed the scene to find if there’s any physical evidence … to see what actually happened,” she said.