James Nunan, 34, has been missing for over a month but investigators in Spain revealed how a theft at the kebab shop led them to his last sighting, before he vanished on a round-the-world sailing trip
A kebab shop theft led to the last sighting of a missing British sailor who vanished more than a month ago.
James Nunan, 34, went missing after he set sail near Gran Canaria, Spain, as he planned to sail around the world. Detectives believe the Brit could have had an accident at sea, after he spent a night out on land. James, from Colchester, was spotted at a kebab shop and investigators explained how a theft helped them retrace his final known steps.
His anguished family have since flown to Gran Canaria in a desperate bid to help authorities find the beloved sailor.
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His family said Spanish Civil Guard investigators were told of a sighting early on August 19, when the Brit reported his passport missing at a police station.
The sailor, who was born in the UK, had been travelling on an Irish passport and was last seen at around 6.15am, when he went to the cops. The day before, he moored his yacht in a neighbourhood of Las Palmas, the capital of Gran Canaria, called Las Isletas and was then seen at an Irish pub called Paddy’s Anchor.
James, known to friends and family as Jemsie, then visited a kebab shop after he left the Irish pub, which is where investigators believed his rucksack was stolen. The sailor even recorded himself on Facebook Live while he walked through a large group of people at a beach, north-west of Las Palmas city centre.
He is thought to have been planning on heading to Lanzarote from Gran Canaria before embarking on a huge Atlantic Ocean crossing to Brazil.
His half-sister Nikita Goddard, speaking to the BBC earlier this month, said: “Searching for Jemsie has been emotionally and physically exhausting and draining for the family.” The heartbroken half-sister added: “Everyone is trying to live on the hope that he’s still alive.”
Police found his boat around 100 miles from Las Palmas, his last known location, but the desperate search for the 34-year-old has continued. Cops shared an update and said they are focusing on the theory that James suffered an accident at sea and might have fallen from his yacht mast.
It it believed cops reached this conclusion because his life jacket and a harness or chair he used to climb up the pole were missing from the boat.
A Civil Guard source said: “The main hypothesis is that James could have suffered an accident as he tried to climb up the mast in adverse wind and sea conditions. But all lines of investigation are still being pursued and the case is not yet closed.”