JAY Slater’s heartbroken friends hugged each other as they paid tribute to the tragic teenager just hours after Spanish cops confirmed he had died.
Tears streamed down the faces of mourners as they released blue balloons into the sky in Oswaldtwistle, Lancs. yesterday in honor of the 19-year-old.
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Loved ones have been reunited after remains were devastatingly found just meters from Jay’s last known location four weeks ago – with police yesterday confirming they belonged to him.
Jay’s distraught mother, Debbie Duncan, said the confirmation of his death was the “worst news”.
She added: “I just can’t believe this could happen to my beautiful boy.
“Our hearts are broken.”
And in the hours that followed, Jay’s community gathered in front of the West End Methodist Church, near his family’s home, and said goodbye.
Blue ribbons lined the streets near the church and throughout the city, not far from where the masses gathered.
Mourners tied touching messages such as “we will miss you” and “fly high, Jay” to the balloons, before releasing them.
Inside the church, families were invited to light a candle and sign Jay’s book of condolences, while the outside was filled with flowers.
Many knew Jay, including family friends and former football coaches paying tribute to the bricklayer’s apprentice.
Family friend Brian Ozenbrook said Sky News: “We always hoped he would be found alive. There was always a chance that he would be found alive and today we found out that he was not.
“It really upsets me, it’s just sad.”
Jay’s former football coach Pam Kierons said she was “devastated”.
The mirror reporter Pam said: “I’m devastated for the family, devastated for Debbie.
Come as…
“The result is not what everyone wanted, but at least they can bring the body home.”
TVI reported that during the service, Reverend Matt Smith said, “We come together to support each other. A few weeks ago I shared a passage with you, ‘a light shines in the darkness and the darkness does not overcome it’.
“Today it may feel like darkness has overtaken us, but today we also stand together and say we will remember Jay.
“His light will never go out. We will remember him.”
He said Debbie and other loved ones planned last night to go up the mountain and lay flowers for Jay.
The Minister said: “Although we are thousands of kilometers away from each other, we stand in solidarity with them. Debbie asked me to thank you for coming today.
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“She wanted everyone to know how much Jay was loved and that is evident to everyone here. Jay will never be forgotten.
“Community is what will carry us through the days and weeks to come. Together we will be stronger.”
His devastated mother Debbie said today she wanted to see her beloved son once again.
A court on the Spanish island confirmed on Tuesday that the body found was that of the British man who disappeared while on holiday with friends in Tenerife, after authorities identified the body using fingerprints.
The teenager’s death was caused by “trauma consistent with a fall in a rocky area”, reported the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands.
A spokesperson said: “We have a positive identification… Fingerprints confirm the body belongs to Jay Slater and death was due to multiple trauma consistent with a fall in the mountainous area.”
I just can’t believe this could happen to my beautiful boy. Our hearts are broken.
Debbie Duncan
A Civil Guard spokeswoman also said Jay’s injuries included several broken bones.
She said: “The body of the man located yesterday was identified as Jay Slater through fingerprint comparison and identification.
“The results of the preliminary autopsy indicate that the cause of death was a fall or fall from a height due to the broken bones he suffered.”
Spanish police on Monday recovered Jay’s body from a steep ravine in Masca after 29 days – reportedly close to where his phone last rang.
Dramatic footage showed the moment a helicopter crew member was hoisted into the abyss with his arms raised in the delicate recovery operation.
Apprentice bricklayer Jay, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancs, went missing in the area on June 17 after leaving an Airbnb he frequented with two men.
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As he attempted to walk the 11 hours back to his accommodation through the rough and rocky terrain, it is feared he may have accidentally fallen.
Authorities say the recovered body was “very deteriorated” and the documentation found was that of Jay.
It is “exceptionally difficult” to safely navigate the valley on foot, resident said Sky News.
Another said: “It’s sad – where they found him shows he had gone too far into the ravine.
“It’s hard to understand how he got there.”
A local resident said yesterday that the ravine in which Jay’s body was found is so dangerous that even they refuse to pass through.
There was always a chance that he would be found alive and today we found out that he was not.
Brian Ozenbrook
Charity LBT Global, which supports the family, said Jay’s belongings were also found near the body.
Debbie, 55, and her father Warren Slater, 58, flew to the island and are fighting for answers.
They received the news they feared on Monday, when Spanish police revealed that a body had been located.
A family spokesperson told The Sun: “There should be no need for the family to carry out formal identification.
“Debbie said she wants to see him one last time.
“Obviously it’s a personal voice, but given he’s been there for almost a month in those conditions, I’m not sure that’s a memory she’ll want.”
Arrangements are being made to repatriate the body to the UK, where a second post-mortem is likely to be carried out by a Home Office pathologist.
Jay Sater Tragedy Timeline
The grim discovery of a body comes after weeks of agony for Jay’s friends and family. Here’s how events unfolded:
Sunday, June 16th: Jay and his friends party on the last day of the NRG music festival, held at Papagayo nightclub in Playa de la Americas, Tenerife.
June 17th, from 3am to 6am: Jay leaves with Ayub Qassim and another man to a £40-a-night Airbnb 23 miles away in the village of Masca.
7:30 am: Jay shares a photo on Snapchat standing in the doorway of the Airbnb.
8:50 am: He calls his friend Lucy Mae Law and says he is “lost in the middle of nowhere,” with no water, a cut on his leg and a percent on the phone.
Tuesday, June 18: Friend search area, but no sign of Jay. Local police and mountain rescue teams begin official searches. Jay’s mother, Debbie Duncan, flies to Tenerife.
June 19th to 20th: The Spanish police use drones, dogs and a helicopter, but find no traces. The search continues to Los Cristianos amid a possible sighting, but it is ruled out and they return to Rural de Teno, near Masca.
June 21th: Lancashire Police offers support, but it is refused.
June 22: Mom Debbie makes an emotional plea to Jay, saying “We just need you home.”
June 24th: Jay is alleged to have been sighted in Santiago del Teide – close to where he disappeared – and the family believe a grainy CCTV image could be of him.
June 25th: Debbie asks her son to return home while more friends travel and TV investigator Mark Williams-Thomas joins the search.
June 29: The police remove Mr. Qassim and another man from the Airbnb from the investigation.
June 30: Spanish police officially suspend the hunt, but say the investigation “remains open”. His family continues the search.
July 15: A body is found by the helicopter search team near where his phone last rang. Their belongings are discovered alongside human remains. Spanish police say this points to an “accidental fall”.
July 16: Tenerife authorities confirm that the body found in the mountainous area of the island is that of Jay
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
