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The body of a young American student who had been missing in Barcelona (Spain) since the early hours of Tuesday morning, March 17, has been recovered from the sea, Catalan police have confirmed.

 

Officers from the Mossos d'Esquadra police force located the body of 20-year-old Jimmy Gracey this Thursday March 19 during a series of dives carried out off Somorrostro beach, close to Barcelona’s Vila Olímpica area.

 

Police sources confirmed that the body was identified as that of the missing University of Alabama student following its recovery.

 

Gracey, originally from Chicago, had been reported missing after a night out in Barcelona, where he was visiting friends during spring break. According to reports, he had been staying in an Airbnb in the city and was last seen in the early hours of Tuesday morning after going to the nightclub Shöko.

 

He had been out with a friend who chose to return home earlier, while Gracey decided to remain at the nightclub. He never made it back to his accommodation, prompting concern when there was no further contact.

 

The disappearance was formally reported at around 3am on Tuesday, when someone close to Gracey alerted police at a Barcelona station. An investigation was immediately launched, with officers working to establish his movements after he left the venue.

 

As part of the search effort, the Mossos deployed their Underwater and Maritime Unit, focusing on the coastal area where Gracey was last seen. The operation intensified on Wednesday, when a police helicopter was also brought in to comb the surrounding area. One of the early working theories was that he may have fallen into the sea.

 

Investigators have since been working “very intensively” to reconstruct the timeline of events leading up to his disappearance. Security camera footage from the nightclub has been reviewed, and police have confirmed that Gracey did not leave alone, although they have not been able to identify the person or people who were with him.

 

Officers have also searched the apartment where he had been staying and interviewed the friend who accompanied him earlier in the evening, as part of ongoing efforts to piece together what happened in the hours before he vanished.

 

At this stage, the Mossos have neither confirmed nor denied reports that they may be in possession of Gracey’s mobile phone, a claim that had been made by his family as they appealed for information on social media during the search.

 

The Gracey family said in a statement to Fox News, “Our family is heartbroken... Jimmy was a deeply loved son, grandson, brother, nephew, cousin and friend, and our family is struggling to come to terms with this unimaginable loss.

 

“We are profoundly grateful for the outpouring of love, support and prayers from people around the world – so many helped to share Jimmy’s story and bring his life to light so that others may know him. We also sincerely appreciate the continued support and coordination of the local authorities and the U.S. Consulate as we work to better understand the circumstances surrounding this tragedy.”

 

Gracey’s fraternity brothers Fraternity brothers at the University of Alabama’s Theta Chi Alpha Phi also added words of mourning, remembering Jimmy as a man of “profound faith” and a “warrior of Christ”.

 

Chapter president Cavin McLay said, “There are no words to describe the pain of losing our beloved brother, Jimmy. He was a man of profound faith who walked with Christ in all facets of his life, and he inspired every one of us to do the same,” noting that as Chapter Chaplain, Jimmy used to close every chapter meeting with a prayer, “bringing us together in a way that reflected exactly who he was and how deeply he was loved and respected”.

 

The investigation by Spanish police remains ongoing as the Mossos d'Esquadra continue to examine the circumstances surrounding Jimmy’s death.

 

The Gracey family concluded, “As we navigate this painful time, we kindly ask for privacy so that we may grieve together and begin to process his loss as a family.”

 

Image: Mossos d'Esquadra