Search for college student missing in Barcelona partially focused on sea

CBS News
March 19, 2026
3 min read

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The Bottom Line

Spanish officials have expanded the search for missing University of Alabama student James Gracey to include the sea.

AI Summary

Spanish officials are expanding their search for University of Alabama student James Gracey, who disappeared during a trip to Barcelona, to include the sea. Gracey went missing under circumstances that have prompted authorities to consider the possibility he may have entered the water, though details of how he disappeared remain unclear. The shift to water-based search operations indicates officials believe there is a credible possibility he may be in the Mediterranean or nearby waterways. University of Alabama students traveling abroad typically operate with institutional oversight, making a missing American student a matter of concern for both Spanish authorities and the university. The expanded search scope suggests investigators have gathered information that warrants checking coastal areas and waters adjacent to the city.

What's Being Done

Spanish authorities have broadened search operations from land-based efforts to include maritime areas in Barcelona.

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