Blood splatter has been discovered on the boat of a British sailor who went missing in Gran Canaria, according to reports.

James Nunan, aged 35 and on a global voyage, was last seen at a kebab shop in Las Palmas in August. His dog, Thumbelina, was found on his vessel a few days later. Family members have highlighted inconsistencies in the search efforts conducted by Essex and Spanish authorities.

Officials in Gran Canaria have suggested that James, originally from Colchester, Essex, became intoxicated and fell overboard after his last sighting. However, his relatives assert that a third party may have been involved. They now reveal that his boat had blood traces in the toilet and on a control lever onboard, as per a report by the BBC. Additionally, electronic devices owned by Nunan were damaged by fire, and there were cuts, likely from a serrated knife, on the sail. James’ half-sister, Nikita Goddard, expressed frustration, stating, “I feel like no one is providing assistance, and it’s incredibly frustrating.”

Nunan, who had ties to Reading, worked as a bricklayer to finance his dream journey, aiming to visit countries like Brazil. Police located his boat on August 25, 100 miles (160km) from his last known position in Las Palmas six days earlier.

Nikita remarked, “We, as a family, believe that there is sufficient evidence to suggest that a third party was likely involved. We do not believe he simply got drunk, fell into the water, and drowned.” While acknowledging that Nunan was intoxicated on the day he was last seen, she clarified that his boat did not set sail until the following day.

Goddard has accused authorities in Gran Canaria of neglecting credible leads and terminating the investigation prematurely. The half-sister, hailing from Lincoln, claimed she was only informed about the blood evidence after receiving a police report.

She added, “The Guardia Civil does not appear to be actively engaged, and I suspect it’s because he was a solo British sailor. Perhaps they assumed no one would bother to inquire.”

Goddard expressed a desire for British authorities to lead the investigation. Policemen in Gran Canaria informed the BBC that they were pursuing legal action and could not comment further while the case was ongoing.

Shortly before his disappearance, Nunan had his backpack stolen from outside a kebab shop, although he still had his passport secured around his neck. Nevertheless, he later reported his passport missing at a police station, and a copy of this report was discovered on the boat.

His dog, Thumbelina, was found alive on the boat and has been reunited with the family. Goddard stated, “We refuse to give up hope in case he is somewhere alive.”

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