The mother of missing British teenager Jay Slater said “our hearts are broken” after a Spanish court confirmed that human remains discovered in rural Tenerife were his, with injuries consistent with a fall. The Canary Islands High Court of Justice used fingerprint technology to identify the body found near Masca village.
A court spokesperson revealed that the post-mortem showed injuries indicative of an accidental fall. Debbie Duncan, Jay’s mother, conveyed her shock and sorrow through LBT Global: “I just can’t believe it we’re here with the embassy staff waiting for an update and now it’s come the worst news. I just can’t believe this could happen to my beautiful boy. Our hearts are broken.”
LBT Global had previously stated that the 19 year old’s clothes and belongings were discovered alongside the remains, close to where he was last seen. The Spanish Civil Guard suggested that Mr Slater might have fallen in the rugged terrain where he was found. Matthew Searle of LBT Global said they are assisting the family with arrangements to repatriate Jay’s body and retrieve his possessions.
READ MORE:Jay Slater’s family issue statement after body found in search for missing Tenerife teen
Following the heartbreaking confirmation, Jay Slater’s friend Lucy Law, who had spoken to him last, paid tribute on Instagram, saying, “Honestly lost for words. Always the happiest and most smiley person in the room, you was (sic) one of a kind Jay and you’ll be missed more than you know.”
She continued: “I’m sure you’ll ‘have your dancing shoes polished and ready’ waiting for us all. We all love you buddy. Fly high.”
The Spanish Civil Guard has released video footage of rescuers defying rocky terrains and wading through scrub as they conducted the search. A portion of the video also captures two members of the team being airlifted from the area by helicopter following the discovery and retrieval of the body.
Jay had attended the NRG music festival with two pals before going missing and his last known whereabouts were the Rural de Teno Park in the north of the Canary Islands, approximately an 11-hour walk from where he was staying. An extensive search was called off by authorities at the end of June after using helicopters, drones and sniffer dogs.
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