Mom Pushes for Answers After Daughter Vanished from Boyfriend's Yacht 3 Years Ago: ‘What Happened?’

Sarm Heslop disappeared on a foreign island in 2021. Her boyfriend’s alleged actions in the aftermath only deepened her family’s fears of foul play

It was March 2022, and Brenda Street was getting increasingly frustrated during her trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands to find out what happened to her daughter, Sarm Heslop, who had been missing for a year.

Heslop, a 41-year-old flight attendant from Hertfordshire, England, was last seen in March 2021, within weeks of arriving in St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands to be with her new boyfriend Ryan Bane, who operated high-end cruises on his yacht, the Siren Song. The two had met on Tinder in June 2020 in Grenada and, after Heslop briefly left for Malta in the Fall, Bane asked that she return to be with him.

"I think she was starting to fall in love with him for sure. She loved to send photos of their adventures together," says Kate Vernalls, Heslop's best friend.

"I think she was excited as to what the future is going to hold," says Vernalls. "They're almost in paradise, aren't they?"

But things took a turn when Street received a call in the U.K. from Bane on March 8, 2021, claiming Heslop disappeared from his catamaran in the middle of the night. She has not been seen since. 

What started off as an adventure in paradise for Heslop has now become a three-year-long agonizing mystery for her friends and family. Soon after her disappearance, they began suspecting foul play, their concerns only deepening when they heard Bane allegedly refused to let local authorities into his yacht during their search for Heslop, according to a coast guard report reviewed by PEOPLE. (Bane's lawyer David Cattie says allegations that he did not let authorities into the yacht are "categorically false").

David Johnston, a private investigator working pro-bono for Heslop’s family, claims he has heard through his sources on the ground that Bane has since made several changes on his yacht, including allegedly refitting the freezer, fueling Johnston and Heslop's family's suspicion that Bane may have had a role in Heslop’s disappearance.

Bane has never been charged in connection with the case.

While Street feels Bane has some questions to answer, she also maintains that the island police had failed to conduct a thorough investigation - including interviewing him.

"They've not done their job as police officers and they certainly haven't done their job as human beings," says Street.

A series of suspicious activities on the island following her disappearance has only added to Street's concerns.

Following Heslop's disappearance, locals on the island had put up “MISSING” posters around the island. One day, Street claims to have received a photo showing someone had scribbled out the name of Bane’s yacht from a poster. 

During her visit, Street had a strange interaction with a local shop owner, she says. The shop-owner was eagerly chatting with Street – until she learned why Street was visiting.

“Whereas the lady had been really friendly,” Street recalls, “it’s like she clammed up and wouldn’t say anything.”

Authorities in St. John told PEOPLE an investigation is ongoing but did not provide further information.

Street wasn't always suspicious of Bane. During the initial stage of the investigation, she "gave him the benefit of the doubt," she says. That changed, she says, after she learned more about him.

Soon after Heslop's disappearance, she tried to contact Bane but claims her messages did not go through, which made her suspect he had blocked her. Cattie says he is unaware of Bane blocking any numbers.

After Heslop's story got out, Bane's ex-wife Corie Stevenson came forward alleging abuse during their marriage that she said had left her fearing for her life. He was convicted in that domestic battery case and sentenced to 31 days, according to court records reviewed by PEOPLE.

Stevenson immediately called the U.S. Virgin Islands police to tell them they should investigate Bane but, she contends, the police did not take her seriously.

While Heslop's friends and family continue their search, they do worry they may not find her alive.

"[Her] mom and dad have reluctantly come to the conclusion the Sarm is probably dead and [was] murdered by somebody," says Johnston. "So a significant change really from 'Find Sarm' to 'Justice for Sarm.'"

While they search for justice, Heslop's friends and family continue with activities that honor her memory. Her parents dedicated a bench in her name at a waterfront near where Heslop lived in Southhampton. Her friends gather for her birthday or on the anniversary of her disappearance to share stories and her favorite food.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Vernalls says if she hadn't gone missing, Heslop would probably continue her journey into the next adventure.

"She just would've done anything to continue traveling and she was fine with that," Vernalls says. "It didn't put any fear in her to go to new places."

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.