'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAIAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAMYmIP/EAB0QAAMAAgIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwAEERIhQVH/2gAIAQEAAT8AimusKC+utLA905Hr4QMvqo9qNGUUkWJVex8DP//EABURAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR/9oACAECAQE/AK//xAAUEQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA/9oACAEDAQE/AH//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Sarm Heslop was last seen with her boyfriend, Ryan Bane, on March 7, 2021, after which she was reported missing by Bane around 2:30 local time to the Virgin Island Police Department. Heslop was known to be a good swimmer who had even sailed across the Atlantic earlier.
Bane is a Michigan resident who had moved to the United States Virgin Islands with his 47-foot-long catamaran named Siren Song which he charters for over $2,000 a day.
He became the center of speculation as he delayed calling in help from the coast guards by nine hours. Bane also refused a search of his boat and currently sails around the Caribbean with appearances in the US Virgin Islands now and then.
The Dateline Unforgettable episode titled Siren Song aired on January 25, 2024, at 8 pm EST on Oxygen and showcased the mysterious disappearance of Sarm Heslop. The synopsis reads:
"A mystery in paradise unfolds when Sarm Heslop vanishes from her boyfriend's yacht; in a case that made international headlines, Andrea Canning recounts her memorable journey searching for a particular person of interest."
Who is Ryan Bane? Details explored
Ryan Bane, the American ex-boyfriend of Sarm Heslop, had been working in the United States Virgin Islands as a chef and host available for private charters. He rented out his catamaran Siren Song for over $2,000 per day for tours, per Daily Mail.
Bane met Sarm Heslop on Tinder in 2020 following which, Heslop quit her job as a flight attendant with FlyBe and joined him in the luxury yacht business. She would cook for private guests and host them as well.
Bane was the last person Sarm was spotted with coming out of the 420 to Center restaurant and bar in Cruz Bay, Saint John. A couple from the adjacent boat had also reported the situation to be calm on board on March 7, 2021 - the day before she was considered as a missing person.
While Ryan Bane has neither been considered a person of interest nor a suspect by the Virgin Islands Police Department, he had refused the authorities to conduct a full forensic check of his boat per his attorney, David Cattie's advice.
He had taken a dinghy to report Heslop missing around 2:30 local time, but called in the U.S. Coast Guard nine hours later.
Moreover, Bane's ex-wife Corin Stevenson came forward to the Daily Mail with her traumatic experience in their marriage which brought to light the time Ryan Bane served in prison for charges of domestic violence.
Where is Ryan Bane now?
While Bane became a person of interest after his past conviction came to light, the Virgin Islands Police Department has been alleged to have lost track of his whereabouts.
Bane was reported to have been spotted in Grenada’s Le Phare Bleu Marina trying to sell his catamaran for $299,000 in November 2021, per the New York Post.
A UK Mirror report dated May 21, 2022, stated a local mentioning Bane back in the Virgin Islands as he said:
“Ryan hasn’t been seen since November but now he’s back.”
Ryan Bane maintains a quiet life now refusing to talk to authorities or the media about Sarm Heslop's 2021 disappearance per the right to remain silent under US Law.
