Authorities in Spain say that James "Jimmy" Gracey, a 20-year-old University of Alabama student who disappeared this week while on a trip to Barcelona, has been found dead.

Gracey, a native of Elmhurst, Ill., went missing overnight on Tuesday and was last seen at Shoko, a beachside nightclub that he had visited with friends who are studying abroad in the city.

Gracey’s body was found on Thursday by a team of divers in the water off the beach, according to the Associated Press. Barcelona’s Catalan Police force wrote on social media that they had located a body near the nightclub and confirmed it was Gracey’s hours later.

Authorities did not provide information on the cause of his death. But a police spokesperson told CNN on Friday that “everything points to it being an accident” and “not a criminal act.”

In a statement, Gracey’s family said they were “heartbroken.”

“Jimmy was a deeply loved son, grandson, brother, nephew, cousin and friend, and our family is struggling to come to terms with this unimaginable loss,” the statement said. “We are profoundly grateful for the outpouring of love, support, and prayers from people around the world — so many helped to share Jimmy’s story and bring his life to light so that others may know him.”

According to his relatives, Gracey left Alabama on Thursday, spent the weekend in Amsterdam, and arrived in Barcelona on Monday.

Gracey became separated from his friends at the nightclub and was last seen alive around 3 a.m. Tuesday.

Gracey was first reported missing by his mother, Therese Marren Gracey, who reached out to members of a Facebook group for American expats living in Barcelona, asking for their help locating him.

“The police have his phone but he never made it back to his air bnb,” she wrote.

The family had also released a statement to the news media, providing a description of what he was wearing and urging anyone with information to come forward.

“Jimmy is a kind, responsible, and devoted son and brother,” they wrote. “It is completely out of character for him not to check in with family and friends.”

Spanish newspapers reported on Thursday that local police had found Gracey’s wallet floating in the sea. That discovery led authorities to partially focus their search on the ocean. Divers were spotted off the coast in the area near the nightclub, though the underwater search had been hampered by “extremely poor visibility,” according to Fox News.

Police reportedly recovered Gracey’s phone while arresting an unknown individual, but it is unclear whether that person is considered a suspect in the case.

“We don’t know whether it was lost, stolen, whatever,” Beth O’Reilly, Gracey’s aunt, told NewsNation on Wednesday.

During a separate interview with NBC News, O’Reilly discussed how the family was doing everything they can to find him.

"It’s one of those things you think isn’t going to happen to your family,” she said.