A British sailor named James Nunan, aged 34, has been missing for over a month following his departure near Gran Canaria, Spain, with plans to circumnavigate the globe. Authorities suspect that Nunan could have encountered a mishap at sea after spending a night ashore. His last known sighting was at a kebab shop, where a theft incident helped investigators retrace his movements.
In a bid to locate the missing sailor, his distressed family has traveled to Gran Canaria. Nunan, who holds an Irish passport despite being born in the UK, was last seen at a police station reporting his passport missing early on August 19. Prior to this, he had docked his yacht in Las Isletas, a neighborhood in Las Palmas, and was spotted at an Irish pub named Paddy’s Anchor.
Referred to affectionately as Jemsie by friends and family, Nunan was captured on Facebook Live walking along a beach in the north-west of Las Palmas after visiting the kebab shop. It is believed that he intended to sail from Gran Canaria to Lanzarote and then undertake a significant transatlantic voyage to Brazil.
Nunan’s half-sister, Nikita Goddard, expressed the family’s emotional toll in the search for him, emphasizing the hope that he is still alive. Although authorities located his boat approximately 100 miles from Las Palmas, the search for the 34-year-old continues, with suspicions of a potential accident at sea, possibly involving a fall from the yacht mast, as his life jacket and climbing equipment were found missing.
A source from the Civil Guard stated that the primary hypothesis is that Nunan may have encountered difficulties while climbing the mast in challenging weather conditions. However, all investigative avenues are being explored, and the case remains open for further examination.