Ben Pawlowski
SPANISH police hunting for a British sailor who disappeared off the coast of Gran Canaria during a solo round-the-world trip have revealed a new line of inquiry.
A desperate search for James ‘Jesmie’ Nunan, 34, from Reading, was launched in late August after the Brit adventurer’s yacht, Kehaar, was found by coastguards 50 miles off the coast of Gran Canaria with no sign of its owner – bar his trusty miniature Jack Russell companion.
The loyal pooch, Thumbelina, was discovered unharmed – but there is no sign of its free-spirited owner, who worked as a bricklayer for a year to save up before setting sail on his dream voyage in March.
Nunan, who had already made stops at Gibraltar and Lanzarote, last made contact with his mother, Maura Norton, 56, on August 18.
Authorities now believe Nunan may have ‘suffered an accident’ on his yacht in challenging sailing conditions.
A source from the Guardia Civil, quoted by Spanish media, 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.”
According to cops, that hypothesis has become the centre of investigation because Nunan’s life jacket and a chair used to climb up the pole were missing from the boat when it was discovered.
But Nunan’s family are concerned a ‘third party’ was involved in his disappearance – pointing to foul play.
His mother said: “I think somebody’s gone to great lengths to make it look like it’s man overboard.
“He was quite openly telling people he was travelling on his own and with a dog. So, anyone could have targeted him for any reason.”
Nuna’s half-sister, Nikita Goddard, added: “We believe there is a strong potential there was a third party involved.”
She said she found it ‘hard to believe’ that Nunan fell overboard.
She also praised the ‘overwhelmingly positive’ support the family have received, adding: “There’s been support from complete strangers, the local people in Gran Canaria, they’ve been helping us. The support from the sailing community has been amazing.”
But Goddard is questioning how Spanish police are leading the investigation. She said: “They reassure me that they’re looking into every eventuality but I do also feel like actions speak louder than words and I don’t feel like they’re giving us a full story of what they’re actually investigating.”
At 6:16pm on August 18, Nunan filmed a Facebook Live video where he appeared to be walking among a group of migrants at Playa del Confital, an idyllic stretch of sand on Gran Canaria’s southern coast.
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Later that night, Nunan left Paddy’s Anchor, a popular British bar in Las Palmas, having told a fellow punter that he planned to travel back to Lanzarote.
According to the man he befriended, Nunan appeared drunk, but not troublesome.
CCTV footage then shows the nomad purchasing dinner at nearby Rico Doner Kebab.
He is seen to be wearing his passport around his neck, but had his backpack stolen while ordering food.
A day later, Nunan’s passport was reported ‘lost or stolen’ to an Irish consulate in Gran Canaria.
One week later, local officials located Nunan’s vessel 50 miles off the southern tip of Gran Canaria – about 100 miles away from Las Palmas.
The day before, a pan-pan call – one step lower than a mayday alert – was made in relation to Nuna’s yacht.
Nunan’s half-sister added: “He’s always been a free spirit. Before he went sailing he was living in a converted van, and he was travelling around Scotland in it.
“When he was in Scotland he just got the idea that he was going to get a boat and sail around the world. He’s been doing that since late March this year. He waited until after my son was born so he could meet him and went pretty much straight after.”
A spokesperson for the British Foreign Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has been reported missing in Spain and are in contact with the local authorities.”
The investigation continues.
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