The partner of missing British sailor Sarm Heslop has issued a detailed statement refuting any connection to her vanishing. Ryan Bane, an American, portrayed their relationship as loving and caring in the five-page document released over four years following Heslop’s disappearance from their yacht, Siren Song, in the US Virgin Islands in March 2021. He explained that his legal counsel advised him to protect his rights by declining police interrogation and preventing a forensic search of the vessel, actions he says were misconstrued as suspicious.

Bane’s response came after a BBC documentary, “Missing in Paradise: Searching for Sarm,” aired footage of the couple walking hand in hand just before Heslop, a 41-year-old former flight attendant, went missing. The video, dated March 7, 2021, captured them strolling along a dock in St John before returning to the yacht on a dinghy.

The last confirmed sighting of Heslop was on that night. Bane claimed he woke up at 2am to an anchor alarm and discovered her absence, contacting the police at 2.30am and the US Coast Guard hours later. He suggested scenarios where she might have fallen overboard or drowned while swimming.

Criticism of Bane’s actions during those crucial hours has shadowed the investigation. In his letter, he criticized the media for biased coverage and highlighted gaps in the official handling of the case, such as delayed reporting and missing evidence. Additionally, Bane’s past record includes a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction against his ex-wife, though he denies any connection to Heslop’s disappearance.

Despite pleas from Heslop’s family for a full forensic search of Siren Song, Bane has sold the boat, leaving the case unresolved.