CCTV shows missing British sailor ordering kebab with dog on Gran Canaria as search continues

Spanish police on Wednesday released a security‑camera image showing a British man who has been missing since August ordering food alongside his dog on Gran Canaria, as the search for the solo sailor entered a fifth week.

The photograph, published by Spanish authorities, shows 34‑year‑old James Nunan wearing a blue T‑shirt and sitting at the counter of Rico Doner Kebab with his miniature Jack Russell, Thumbelina, on his lap. Spanish investigators say Nunan's bank card was used at the takeaway at 10:39 p.m. on August 18.

Nunan, from Reading, set out on a solo round‑the‑world voyage in March aboard a boat he bought in Slovenia, named Kehaar, and was travelling with Thumbelina. He last spoke with his mother on August 18, according to family members, and was reported missing to Essex Police by his mother on August 22 after several days without contact.

Spanish coastguards later located Kehaar adrift on August 25 roughly 100 miles from the island where authorities believe Nunan was last seen. The boat was found with its anchor raised and its engine off and with no sign of its owner on board; Thumbelina was discovered alive and well on the vessel.

Nunan's half‑sister, Nikita Goddard, told the BBC that documents found on Kehaar appear to confirm a further sighting on August 19, when Nunan visited a police station at about 6:15 a.m. to report a missing passport. Goddard said the discovery of those documents showed Nunan "was thinking clearly" and urged against assumptions that he had been intoxicated and fallen from the boat.

Family members have travelled to Gran Canaria to assist with enquiries and said they were “not ready to give up”. They met with members of the Spanish Civil Guard to receive updates on the investigation, Spanish broadcaster Antena 3 reported.

Essex Police said it had been contacted by the family and was providing support. The force said it had submitted queries through international liaison officers and Interpol to Spanish authorities and was awaiting a response. A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said the UK government was supporting the family and in contact with local authorities.

Authorities have not publicly given a cause of Nunan’s disappearance. Spanish investigators continue to examine CCTV footage, banking records and materials recovered from the vessel as part of their inquiry. Family members described the past weeks as emotionally and physically draining and said they were clinging to hope that he can still be located safely.

The search has drawn attention to safety practices for solo sailors and to the challenges of international search operations when vessels travel far from shore. Investigators from Spain and agencies in the UK remain in communication as they pursue lines of inquiry, and no further sightings of Nunan have been confirmed since the footage published by Spanish police.