Barcelona police said they found 20-year-old American James “Jimmy” Gracey dead in shallow ocean water in front of the beachfront club Shoko on Thursday, ending a search that began after he went missing while clubbing early Tuesday.
Investigators said initial signs pointed to an accidental death, but the cause and circumstances remained unclear. A police spokesperson said, “Everything points to it being an accident, not a criminal act,” CNN reported.
Relatives said Gracey, from Illinois, parted ways with friends while clubbing and was last seen alive around 3 a.m. He was reported missing after he did not return to his rental the next morning, his family said.
Gracey was one month away from completing his junior year at the University of Alabama. He travelled overseas for spring break to visit classmates studying abroad, his aunt told the Associated Press.
He left Alabama last Thursday and spent the weekend in Amsterdam before arriving in Barcelona on Monday, his aunt Beth Marren O’Reilly told AP. That night, he went out with friends to the beachfront clubs in Port Olímpic.
At Shoko, he became separated from his friends, his fraternity brother Cavin McLay told CNN affiliate WBMA.
“That was the last time we’ve heard from him,” McLay said.
How police discovered Gracey?
Spanish authorities searched for Gracey, with police patrolling the seaside neighbourhood on motorcycles and using underwater units to scour the water near the club where he was last seen, according to a spokesperson for the Catalan police force, Mossos d’Esquadra. Gracey’s father flew to Barcelona as the search continued.
Police eventually recovered Gracey’s phone, which had been stolen, his mother, Therese Gracey, said in a post on Facebook. The Catalan police force declined to share details when CNN asked about the phone.
Police reviewed security camera footage from Shoko to retrace his movements in the early hours, WBMA reported. Employees at the club declined to comment to CNN about the disappearance, but said they turned over CCTV footage to police. They also said friends returned to the club in recent days seeking information, and walked the beach handing out missing person flyers, WBMA reported.
Police said Gracey’s body was discovered a few metres underwater off Somorrostro beach, which stretches in front of Shoko.
‘Unimaginable loss’: Family over Gracey’s death
Loved ones said it was “completely out of character” for Gracey to not check in, and said the family was “heartbroken” after learning he was found dead.
“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,” the family said in a statement.
As the eldest of five children, Gracey often helped his parents care for his younger siblings, according to his uncle David Gracey, a CNN senior producer in Washington, DC. He also served as a chaplain and philanthropy chairman in the Theta Chi fraternity, said McLay, the chapter president.
“He’s the guy that goes out of his way to be there when someone needs it,” McClay said before learning of his death.
Gracey was an avid hockey player, his uncle said. He was also an honours student in the university’s accounting programme, according to his aunt.
“Jimmy’s loss is deeply felt across our campus,” the University of Alabama said in a statement Thursday.
“The University has been in close contact with the family throughout the week and will continue to provide support to them and to Jimmy’s friends, classmates, and all members of our community who are affected by this tragedy,” the school added.
