Missing X Factor star and rugby player Levi Davis might have drowned off the coast of Barcelona, his family has claimed in a statement.
The 24-year-old was last seen in October 2022 when the former Bath player left the UK for Ibiza after suffering an injury.
He then suddenly left the friend he was staying with and took a boat from the party island to Barcelona without clothes or cash and has not been seen since.
His mother, Julie, said in a statement that local police have told her they believe a man who drowned close to the city’s port was Levi.
His mobile phone last pinged close to where the man drowned.
In a statement, Julie said she had met with police and one of Levi’s friends.
She said: “Extensive work has been done to track Levi's movements on the night of the 29 October and they [the police] are able to confirm that following his last reported sighting at the Hard Rock Café, Levi walked back down La Rambla and entered the commercial port.
“Reports of a man in the water by staff on a cruise ship entering the port at 6.30am on 30 October have been investigated. Four members of staff confirmed seeing a man in the water with specific details, including him asking for help in English and the colour of his clothing.
“'A life jacket was thrown from the ship and emergency Sea and Air rescue services searched the area but they were unable to find him.”
She added the family was hoping Port Police would authorise a search of the nearby waters.
During the investigation, Levi’s family hired a private investigator.
Investigator Gavin Burrows tweeted he believed Levi was being blackmailed and that it had started shortly after his X Factor appearance.
Levi's passport was also found by the port in Barcelona, leading Burrows to speculate that Levi might have drowned.
Last month a missing persons expert said Levi's disappearance in Spain was "more complicated", in part due to diminished information-sharing between UK and European police forces after Brexit.
The case of the former rugby star and X Factor Celebrity star was being looked into by a specialist criminal investigation unit in Spain.
Charlie Hedges, formerly of the National Crime Agency, said complications were “amplified” with international cases.
Mr Hedges, who set up a police expert network for missing people across Europe, said additional challenges included language barriers and different judicial systems, as well as European countries having a different style of police operation.
"The primary responsibility for Levi’s disappearance sat with the Spanish police, as this was where he went missing," Mr Hedges told the BBC's File on 4.
