By 2021, Sarm Heslop was living an independent and adventurous life in the US Virgin Islands, where she worked as a chef and spent much of her time aboard a catamaran called Siren Song. In March 2021, she and her boyfriend went ashore for dinner at a local restaurant and later returned to the vessel. However, within hours, Sarm vanished without a trace. An extensive search was launched in the days that followed, involving local authorities and multiple agencies, but no sign of her was ever found. NBC’s ‘Dateline: Siren Song’ examines the circumstances surrounding her disappearance and the many questions and suspicions that have lingered ever since.
Sarm Heslop Was Last Seen Leaving a Restaurant With Her Boyfriend
Sarm Heslop was born in Southampton, England, to Peter Heslop and Brenda Street. From a young age, she had an adventurous spirit and a desire to see more of the world than her hometown could offer. As she got older, she chose to step outside her comfort zone and pursue the experiences that excited her most. Sarm began her career as a flight attendant with Flybe, a role that allowed her to travel extensively and explore new places. Eventually, she decided to make a change and follow her longtime dream of becoming a chef. Sometime in 2020, she met Ryan Bane through Tinder, and the two began a relationship. At the time, Ryan was working as the charter captain of a large catamaran called Siren Song.
Sarm began living aboard the catamaran and pursued her career as a chef in the luxury yacht industry. By all accounts, she was happy with both her work and her romantic life. On March 7, 2021, Sarm and Ryan left the boat and went to a restaurant on the island of Saint John in the Caribbean. Because of COVID-19 restrictions in place at the time, they left before 10 pm and headed back toward Siren Song, which was anchored in Cruz Bay and could only be reached by dinghy from the shore. CCTV footage captured the pair walking on a dock towards where the dinghy was usually parked. Then, just a few hours later, at around 2:30 am on March 8, Ryan reported Sarm missing to authorities.
According to Ryan, Sarm was asleep by around 10 pm after they returned from the restaurant. He later claimed that he woke up in the middle of the night and realized that she was nowhere to be found on the boat. He then reported her missing to authorities and was advised to notify the Coast Guard as well. However, Ryan did not contact the Coast Guard until approximately 11:45 am, nearly nine hours after first reporting her disappearance. Sarm has not been seen or heard from since that night, and despite extensive searches and years of investigation, no major breakthroughs have been made. Her remains have never been located, and the case remains open and unsolved to this day.
Sarm Heslop’s Family Suspects Foul Play Was Involved
In the hours immediately after Sarm Heslop was reported missing, authorities did not conduct a search of Siren Song. Ryan Bane initially spoke with investigators and appeared to cooperate, but a few days later, he retained legal counsel and declined requests to allow a search of the vessel or to be questioned. Local authorities later issued citations for his refusal to permit boarding, as well as for alleged issues with registration paperwork and safety equipment. However, these were civil violations and did not result in any criminal charges. CCTV footage captured Ryan and Sarm walking back on the dock, but they were not seen boarding a dinghy. As a result, investigators were never able to definitively determine whether Sarm returned to the vessel at all.
A couple who saw Ryan and Sarm on the day she disappeared later told investigators that nothing seemed unusual between them and that they appeared to be getting along normally. Even so, many questions were raised about Ryan’s decision to wait nearly nine hours before notifying the Coast Guard that Sarm was missing. After her disappearance, Sarm’s phone, wallet, and passport were all aboard the boat and were turned over to investigators for examination. The FBI eventually joined the search effort, but despite the involvement of multiple agencies and extensive investigative work, no significant breakthroughs were made.
In November 2021, Siren Song was listed for sale at approximately £167,800, and its name was changed. Over the years, Sarm’s family and friends have repeatedly called for a full forensic examination of the boat, but such an examination has never been conducted. A $10,000 reward was also offered for information that could help solve the case, yet no significant leads emerged. In public statements, Sarm’s family has said that they believe she is most likely deceased and have expressed their belief that foul play may have been involved in her disappearance. The investigation remains ongoing, and those closest to her continue to hope that answers will eventually come.
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