Body of missing University of Alabama student found off Barcelona beach after 3-day search

The body of a missing American college student has been recovered off the coast of a popular Barcelona beach after a frantic three-day search.

(NBC)- The body of a missing American college student has been recovered off the coast of a popular Barcelona beach after a frantic three-day search.

Authorities say 20-year-old Jimmy Gracey was pulled from the water Thursday near the beachfront area where he was last seen earlier this week.

Friends told NBC News they last saw Gracey around 3 a.m. Tuesday while he was out at a popular nightclub near the beach. They say nothing appeared unusual at the time.

In the days following his disappearance, friends and volunteers placed posters around the area in hopes someone had seen him.

Search crews, including scuba divers, boats, and helicopters, spent days combing the coastline before Gracey’s body was discovered just offshore near the club.

Gracey, a Chicago-area native and junior at the University of Alabama, was in Barcelona for spring break visiting friends who were studying abroad.

Family members are remembering him as a strong and compassionate young man.

“I think everybody would want a brother or a nephew like Jimmy,” said his aunt, Beth Marren O’Reilly. “He’s a great kid. He’s responsible. He’s a leader.”

Members of Gracey’s fraternity, Theta Kai, also shared tributes, describing him as a beloved brother and a man of upstanding character.

In a statement, Gracey’s family expressed gratitude for the support they’ve received during this difficult time, thanking those who have kept them in their thoughts and prayers.

The circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation.