Missing rugby player Levi Davis probably drowned in the sea off Barcelona, his devastated family were told.
His mother Julie Davis said police have told her they now believe a man seen in the sea by crew on a passing cruise ship is likely her son who disappeared in October.
Officers have spoken to four crew members of a cruise ship that docked in Barcelona at 6:30am on Oct. 30 — the day after Levi disappeared — who reported seeing a man in the sea wearing the same light-colored top as Levi.
They said the man called for help several times in English. A life preserver was thrown at him, but a subsequent search by police and coastguards found no one.
Julie Davis, mother of Levi Davis, says her son was depressed after struggling with ‘money worries’ and ‘racial prejudice’ in his career when he disappeared from an Irish bar in Spain
Levi Davis (pictured) is feared to have drowned off the coast of Barcelona after leaving a bar
Detectives have also told Levi’s family that they have now also discovered that his phone signal was last picked up by a phone mast near the docks in the early hours of October 30.
It was previously thought that the mobile phone – which has not been used since his disappearance – was last pinged near Sants central station.
But detectives have told Julie they have now tracked down Levi – who also appeared on Celebrity X Factor – who walked to the docks after visiting an Irish bar and the Hard Rock Cafe on La Rambla.
Levi’s passport was found a few days after his disappearance on a bench just outside the harbour.
Levi’s family has said they hope that the harbor police will give permission and conduct further investigations in the waters and other inaccessible parts of the harbor.
A spokesman for the Mossos d’Esquadra force, which had turned the matter over to their specialized investigative unit, said tonight: “The hypothesis he has drowned is one of the lines of investigation. But other lines of research remain open and are not excluded.
“We will remain in contact with the missing man’s family and keep them informed of the progress of the ongoing investigation.”
In a statement released to MailOnline tonight, his mother Julie said she and a close friend of Levi’s, Richard Squire, met with police, the Mosso D’esquadra, on Monday for an update on the search
She said: ‘A lot of work has been done to track Levi’s movements on the night of October 29 and they (the police) can confirm that following his last reported sighting at the Hard Rock Café La Rambla, Levi walked back down and went inside. the trading port.
His phone last registered in the early hours of Saturday 30 October with a telephone tower at the far end of the harbour, nearest the sea entrance.
Video appears to show Levi Davis leaving an Irish bar in Barcelona before disappearing
The family provided details of the operation to locate the man in the water seen by the crew on cruise ship MSC Bellissima, at around 6:30 am that day.
“Four staff members confirmed seeing a man in the water with specific details, including him asking for help in English and the color of his clothing,” said Julie.
“A life jacket was thrown off the ship and sea and air rescue services searched the area, but they couldn’t find it.”
Coastguards in Barcelona reportedly mobilized their helicopter named Helimer 203 and a ship named Salvamar Mintaka. A boat operated by firefighters was also sent to the scene, along with police and Red Cross ships.
The search was supposed to have taken an entire day, but was called off after it was confirmed that no one was missing from the cruise ship and police confirmed that no one had been reported missing in port waters or in the sea off Barcelona.
Levi’s disappearance had not been reported to the police at the time and his passport was not found until days later.
Catalan police launched a search for the rugby player and former X-Factor contestant at their own expense on Nov. 8, before receiving an official missing persons report from a friend from Ibiza on Nov. 12.
Julie added: ‘The investigation is still ongoing and we hope that the Port Police will allow further investigation of the waters and other inaccessible areas of the port.
“We would like to thank the Mosso d’esquadra and the British Consulate in Barcelona for their continued hard work.
“No further comment will be made at this time. We continue to ask the press to respect the feelings and privacy of Levi’s family and friends at a very difficult time emotionally.”
Levi’s family has said they hope port police will grant permission and conduct further investigations in the waters and other inaccessible areas of the port.
But the Spanish press reports that a judge will have to give permission for any new search of the port waters and other inaccessible parts of the port.
Levi Davis went missing on October 29 last year, just hours after arriving in Barcelona, Spain
Levi was staying with Mr Squire at his home in Ibiza, but had only taken the ferry to Barcelona on October 29.
He was last seen leaving The Old Irish Pub on Barcelona’s La Rambla, a busy street lined with bars and restaurants.
Security cameras saw him leave the pub after just 35 minutes at 10:05 pm. He had ordered a pint while watching football on TV.
He walked the short distance north on La Rambla to the Hard Rock Cafe before turning south again towards the harbour.
Levi played Premiership rugby union for Bath between 2017 and 2020 when he joined Ealing Trailfinders. A year later, he signed for Worthing Raiders.
He starred on Celebrity X Factor in 2019 alongside fellow rugby stars Ben Foden and Thom Evans in a singing group known as Try Star. He was also on E4’s Celebs Go Dating in 2020.
