Family of Missing Sailor Discover Burnt Electronics in Gran Canaria
The family of James ‘Jemsie’ Nunan, a sailor from Colchester, Essex, who mysteriously vanished on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria, has reported the discovery of burnt remnants of an iPad and a mobile phone. Nunan disappeared during his global voyage aboard his vessel in August.
A search operation was promptly initiated following his disappearance, with Nunan last seen at a kebab shop in Las Palmas on August 19, wearing his Irish passport around his neck.
His boat was located approximately 100 miles (160 km) away from his last known sighting, with CCTV footage confirming his visit to a police station on the same day to report his lost passport.
This week, Jemsie turned 35, and his family has renewed their call for information, now 14 weeks into the ongoing search. They have encountered ‘contradictory’ statements from both Essex Police and the Guardia Civil, specifically regarding the inquiry into Jemsie’s vessel.
In their efforts, the family uncovered outer shells of a burnt iPad and phone, along with an unscrewed GPS aerial, yet they assert that a comprehensive forensic examination of the boat remains uncompleted.
Jemsie had intended to sail from Gran Canaria to Lanzarote en route to Brazil. Missing Essex sailor James ‘Jemsie’ Nunan on board his boat
His canine companion, Thumbelina, a Jack Russell terrier, was located safe aboard the vessel on August 25; however, there was no sign of the sailor himself.
The family claims that a Pan Pan distress call—an urgent notice for non-life-threatening emergencies—was made on August 24, initially corroborated by both the Guardia Civil and Essex Police.
However, they now allege that the Guardia Civil has since retracted this confirmation, leaving the call’s origin ambiguous. The remains of a burnt iPad were found by his family
In a statement, the family expressed concerns over dismissive attitudes from the authorities regarding CCTV footage from the kebab shop, where Jemsie was last seen. They allege that he was targeted there, with his backpack reportedly stolen, yet the Guardia Civil has been unresponsive to witness accounts.
Additionally, the family contends that they have been advised against engaging with the media and faced demands for taxes related to the boat’s storage in a maritime police facility. Jemsie’s dog, Thumbelina
The authorities initially misreported the status of Thumbelina, claiming she was not found aboard the boat, only to later confirm her safety a week after the incident.
The timeline of her whereabouts following the vessel’s towing remains unclear, and complications arose surrounding her identification when she received a new Spanish microchip, delaying her return to Jemsie’s family.
Efforts for comment have been made to Essex Police and the Guardia Civil.
Source link: Essexlive.news.
