Security footage shows Alabama student James Gracey accidentally falling into the water in Spain, police say
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — The police concluded that: Death of 20-year-old University of Alabama student Referring to footage showing him falling into the ocean the night he disappeared, he stated that there had been an accident while he was on holiday in Spain.
Accordingly El País newspaperSecurity camera footage taken in the early hours of Tuesday morning shows James Paul Gracey walking alone towards the dock area at Port Olympic, with no one taking a step before he fell into the water.
Gracey, an accounting student at the University of Alabama, went to Shôko nightclub, located on the waterfront in Port Olympic, on Monday night. last seen leave the club with someone Around 3 a.m. on Tuesday. When he did not return to the rented house he was staying in, his family declared him missing.
On Thursday, Mossos d’Esquadra began searching for Gracey in the water along Somorrostro beach near Port Olimpic. He finds his wallet at the beginning awashpolice later found Gracey in approximately 13 feet of water.
Police officers carry the body of a person found in the waters off the Port of Barcelona, Spain, Thursday, March 19, 2026. The body was later identified as 20-year-old James Paul Gracey, a University of Alabama student who was in Spain for vacation. (AP Photo/Alfonso Beato)
Inside Statement to the Associated PressA Mossos d’Esquadra spokesman said “all signs point to Gracey’s death being accidental.”
In the El País report, police also explained how they seized Gracey’s phone; It’s a controversial point, leading many online sleuths to believe Gracey may have been harmed. In particular, the Barcelona City Police caught a pickpocket who claimed to have found a phone in the area.
“After checking the contacts on the phone, Barcelona police discovered that it belonged to Gracey,” the report said. “Officers do not know whether the young man lost it or if it was stolen, but they believe this was unrelated to Gracey’s subsequent fall overboard.”
Gracey, originally from Elmhurst, Illinois, a suburb outside Chicago, was preparing to fly home Saturday. He would graduate from UA next year.
“The University of Alabama community is heartbroken to learn of Jimmy Gracey’s death,” UA officials said in his statement on Thursday. “Jimmy’s loss is deeply felt on our campus. Our condolences go out to the Gracey family at this devastating time.:
Gracey’s family released the following statement:
“Our family is heartbroken when we confirm Jimmy’s body has been found in Barcelona.
“Jimmy was a much-loved son, grandson, brother, nephew, cousin and friend, and our family is struggling to come to terms with this unimaginable loss.
“We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love, support and prayers from around the world; so many people helped share Jimmy’s story and bring his life to light so others could know him.
“We sincerely appreciate the continued support and coordination of local authorities and the U.S. Consulate as we work to better understand the circumstances surrounding this tragedy.
“We ask for privacy so that we can grieve together and come to terms with his loss as a family as we move through this painful time.”
An autopsy will be performed at the Forensic Medicine Institute of Catalonia on Friday to determine how Gracey died.
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