Spanish police confirmed Thursday that the body of James Gracey, a 20-year-old University of Alabama student who vanished during a spring break trip to Barcelona, was recovered from the water at Somorrostro beach.
The discovery ended a days-long search that shifted from land to sea Thursday morning, when authorities deployed boats, divers, and drones along the coastline near the Villa Olimpica area.
CBS News reported that Gracey, an honors accounting student and member of the Theta Chi fraternity, had been visiting friends studying abroad. He was last seen early Tuesday morning near Shoko nightclub on Barceloneta Beach.
His family said he became separated from his group that night and never made it back to where they were staying.
He had a flight booked for Saturday to return home to the United States. He never boarded it.
The timeline of Gracey's disappearance is thin on detail but heavy with dread. After he went missing, police contacted his family to say they had found his phone. His wallet turned up later near the beach. By Thursday morning, the search moved to open water, and within hours authorities pulled a body from the sea in front of Shoko nightclub. Police identified it as Gracey.
A spokesperson said everything points to the death being an accident and not a criminal act. Catalan Police said their investigation into Gracey's official cause of death continues.
Gracey was the oldest of five children, a detail that makes the family's statement all the more gutting. His family released a message that was measured, gracious, and devastating in its simplicity:
"Our family is heartbroken as we confirm that Jimmy's body has been recovered in Barcelona."
"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 expressed gratitude to those who shared his story and helped bring attention to the search, and acknowledged the coordination of local authorities and the U.S. Consulate. They asked for privacy as they grieve.
The University of Alabama released its own statement calling Gracey's loss "deeply felt across our campus" and asking that the family's privacy be respected.
Gracey attended St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago before enrolling at Alabama, and the school described itself as "united in grief." Its tribute painted a portrait of a young man who carried himself with uncommon seriousness of purpose:
"Jimmy embodied all the values we hope for in our students and graduates–open to growth, intellectually competent, religious, loving and committed to doing justice. His dedication to academics, athletics, faith and service to others ensured he left a lasting impact on Saint Ignatius and all who knew him. He will be remembered for his strength of character, loyalty, and the way he showed up for his teammates and friends."
St. Ignatius will hold a memorial Mass at the Church of the Holy Family on Monday at 8 a.m.
What happened to James Gracey is every parent's nightmare distilled to its cruelest form: a kid on spring break, a foreign city, a group that gets separated in the early morning hours, and a phone call that changes everything. There is nothing political about it and nothing partisan. There is only a family of seven that is now a family of six, and a community in Elmhurst, Illinois, that will carry an empty chair for a very long time.
The investigation remains open. The facts, as they stand, suggest an accident. But the absence of answers about what exactly happened between Shoko nightclub and the waterline will haunt the people who loved him. A phone found here, a wallet found there, and a body pulled from the Mediterranean. The pieces don't yet form a picture anyone can make peace with.
Jimmy Gracey was twenty years old. He was supposed to fly home Saturday.
