5 key details about Sarm Heslop's mysterious disappearance

Hosts of Dateline: Unforgettable (Image via Oxygen)
Hosts of Dateline: Unforgettable (Image via Oxygen)

Sarm Heslop remains missing after vanishing from a yacht near St John in March 2021. The British former flight attendant was living and working on a 47-foot catamaran called Siren Song with her partner, Ryan Bane. Her phone, wallet, and passport were later found on board. Searches at sea and along the coastline brought no trace.

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Interest in the case spiked again after Dateline: Unforgettable revisited it in season 3, episode 2, Siren Song. The episode re-aired on Oxygen at 8 am on Saturday, September 6, and that encore has pulled fresh questions into public view.

Also read: The Curious Case of… - The Doomsday Cat Cult: Sheryl Ruthven - A complete timeline of events


Case background of Sarm Heslop

Sarm Heslop, a 41-year-old former flight attendant from the UK, had been living and working aboard a 47-foot catamaran called Siren Song. She and her boyfriend had dinner on St John on the night of March 7, 2021, then returned to the boat, anchored a short distance from shore.

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Sarm Heslop was a former flight attendant from the UK. (Representative image via Unsplash)
Sarm Heslop was a former flight attendant from the UK. (Representative image via Unsplash)

By early morning on March 8, Heslop was reported missing. Her phone, wallet, and passport were left on board. The boat lay near Cruz Bay, and nearby vessels reported no loud disturbance or calls for help during the night.

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Local searches covered the shoreline and the sea. Divers, drones, and dogs were used. No confirmed trace has surfaced. Family and friends have kept attention on the case through public appeals, anniversaries, and media interviews.


5 key details about Sarm Heslop’s mysterious disappearance

1) The nine-hour gap after Heslop was reported missing

Police told the boyfriend to contact the US Coast Guard during the night. The call did not reach the Coast Guard until late the next morning, roughly nine hours later, according to the BBC News reporting.

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2) No full search of the yacht where Sarm Heslop lived and worked

Authorities were not granted a full forensic search of the vessel in the initial window. A citation for impeding officers followed, but no comprehensive cabin search was completed, according to reports.


3) Post-incident boat changes linked to the Heslop case

After leaving US waters, the boat was seen in Grenada and reportedly had the freezer and other forecabin parts replaced. The family’s investigator has pressed officials about these changes and what they could mean.

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A yacht anchored off the coast of St John, where Heslop was last seen in 2021 (Representative image via Unsplash)
A yacht anchored off the coast of St John, where Heslop was last seen in 2021 (Representative image via Unsplash)

4) Prosecutors looped in after the Sarm Heslop case stalled

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Three years on, local police said the matter had been referred to the Attorney General’s office. Loved ones said they were not told first and called the communication “appalling,” asking for clarity on next steps.


5) Violence in the boyfriend’s past resurfaced as Sarm Heslop remained missing

Court records from 2011 show a domestic violence conviction involving his then-wife. Friends and family have asked why the history did not lead to deeper early action. According to The Independent's reporting, the boyfriend denies involvement in Heslop’s disappearance and says he cooperated with the law.

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The case has since been referred to the Attorney General’s Office for further review. (Image via Pixels)
The case has since been referred to the Attorney General’s Office for further review. (Image via Pixels)

The Dateline re-air revived core facts for viewers: a missing person with belongings left on board, a timeline that raises hard questions, and a yacht that was never forensically searched. The case remains open, and anyone with verifiable information is urged to come forward through official channels.

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Dateline: Unforgettable is available on fuboTV, NBC, and Oxygen. Viewers looking to catch up can find Sarm Heslop's episode listed as Siren Song under season 3.

Also read: Leah Cuevas' case - A complete timeline of events ahead of Snapped

Edited by Preethika Vijayakumar
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