The body of James “Jimmy” Gracie, a University of Alabama student who had been missing, was found on Thursday in Barcelona, Spain, after a search lasting several days, authorities reported.
Police located Gracie’s body at Port Olympic, near the nightclub where he was seen for the last time. A spokesperson for Mossos d’Esquadra confirmed that the recovered body belonged to Gracie, a 20-year-old junior last spotted at the Shoko nightclub early Tuesday morning.
Originally from Elmhurst, Illinois, Gracie went missing around 3 a.m. after visiting the Shoko restaurant and nightclub. His mother, Therese Gracie, mentioned that he had been with a friend, but they got separated towards the end of the night. Unfortunately, he never made it back to the Airbnb he had rented with other friends.
According to reports, a diver entered the water around 7:05 p.m. and returned shortly after with a body bag. The search for Gracie involved helicopters, boats, and dive teams as authorities explored various scenarios, including the possibility that he had drowned. Visibility underwater was reported to be very poor, limiting divers’ capabilities.
Gracie’s family stated that police had also recovered his cell phone during the arrest of another person and were examining its location data as part of the ongoing investigation. It’s quite heartbreaking, really. Gracie’s family expressed their devastation, stating, “Our family is heartbroken to confirm that Jimmy’s body has been recovered in Barcelona. He was a deeply loved son, grandson, brother, nephew, cousin, and friend. Our family is struggling to come to terms with this unimaginable loss.”
As of now, authorities have not disclosed the cause of Gracie’s death.
