The American student who drowned on spring break in Spain may have been drugged before meeting his fate, a new report claims.
James ‘Jimmy’ Gracey, 20, a junior at the University of Alabama, was visiting friends studying abroad in Barcelona.
He never made it home from beachfront nightclub Shôko after being separated from his friends around 3am on Wednesday.
Gracey’s body was found by police divers in about 12ft of water in front of Port Olympic about 6pm on Thursday.
Investigators have not ruled out that he could have been drugged, a source told Fox News Digital.
Gracey is believed to have walked toward the water on his own and fallen in while under the influence of drugs, alcohol or both, the source said.
Autopsy and toxicology results are still pending, and they are not expected to be completed until next Thursday.
Gracey’s wallet was found intact, with cash, credit cards and ID inside.
Jimmy Gracey, 20, was a junior at the University of Alabama who was visiting friends studying abroad in Barcelona
Police believe that when Gracey left the nightclub, he walked towards some rocks (circled) that stuck out of the nearby beach and may have fallen into the sea
The Alabama student’s disappearance was brought to light when his mother Therese issued an urgent plea for help in the search for him earlier this week on Facebook.
‘The police have his phone but he never made it back to his Airbnb,’ Therese wrote.
She pleaded with anyone who may have seen him to come forward and contact her.
Gracey was wearing a white T-shirt and dark pants, likely joggers, as well as a gold chain with a rhinestone cross when he disappeared.
Shôko is a bustling beachfront nightclub along Barcelona’s La Barceloneta seaside neighborhood, known for its Mediterranean views and popular among locals and visitors.
It has been ranked the seventh best nightclub in the world by Nightlife International.
Gracey was staying at an Airbnb on Ronda de Sant Pere, one of the city’s main roads.
The distance from Shôko to his tourist apartment is roughly three kilometers. He never made it back from the club, his mother said.
