The final movements of Sarm Heslop, the British woman who vanished from her boyfriend’s catamaran in the US Virgin Islands over a month ago, were not captured on surveillance video due to a power outage, according to a report.
“The CCTV was blown out a few days before by an electrical outage,” Ryan Sharkey, owner of the 420 to Center bar in Cruz Bay where Heslop, 41, dined with her boyfriend Ryan Bane the night of her disappearance, told the UK’s Mirror.
“I’ve only just got it replaced. We just don’t have footage of them. Police were disappointed when I told them,” he told the outlet.
“She and Ryan were at the edge of the bar — no arguing, no trouble, not that we know about,” Sharkey said. “They were talking, that was it. It was about 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. when they came in.”
He added: “I think he had three beers and Sarm no more than two. They were here for about an hour-and-a-half.”
The owner of the nearby Connections Cyber Cafe told the Mirror that she saw Bane a few days later when he picked up a package at the business.
“After Sarm went missing, we were shocked when we checked our records and saw Ryan’s name and the name of the boat and realized he has a PO Box with us,” the unnamed woman told the news outlet.
“He’s been in once since Sarm disappeared, to pick up a large parcel. I’ve no idea what it was or who it was from. We fear the worst for her, now it’s been more than a month since she disappeared,” she said.
“It’s so strange that there’s just no sign of her, no clothing that’s washed up or been found, just nothing,” the woman added. “We all really feel for her family and friends. It is just so awful for them.”
News about the idled cameras comes as authorities continue the investigation into the former flight attendant, whom Bane, 44, reported missing 10 hours after he reportedly noticed her missing from his luxury craft Siren Song on March 7.
It was recently reported that police were unsure whether Heslop had even been aboard the vessel before she went missing.
The US Coast Guard issued Bane a citation — a record of an alleged violation – for refusing to allow law enforcement aboard his vessel to investigate the disappearance.
Bane has a conviction for assaulting his ex-wife.
“He is still here in the US Virgin Islands but I cannot reveal his exact location. He is still not cooperating – there has been no change,” police spokesman Toby Derima told the Mirror.