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JAY Slater’s heartbroken mum is “overwhelmed” by the support she has had since police recovered her son’s body in Tenerife.
Almost £60,000 has now been donated on a GoFundMe page for Jay’s family as well-wishers share their condolences.
Jay Slater with his mum Debbie Duncan
Jay’s mum and dad, Debbie Duncan and Warren Slater, out in Tenerife searching for himDoug Seeburg
A tribute to Jay from his devastated mum DebbieIan Whitaker The Sun
The rocky ravine in Tenerife where search efforts were focusedGrief-stricken Debbie Duncan, Jay’s mum, wept as authorities this week confirmed they had found the teenager’s body in a mountainous region.
She and Jay’s dad Warren Slater and brother Zak are now preparing to fly back to the UK after a month of heartache on the island.
The Sun understands family members have jetted to Tenerife to be by Debbie’s side as she waits for Jay’s body to be repatriated.
School finance officer Debbie has received thousands of messages of support from family, friends and strangers alike.
Debbie, 55, said she has been left “overwhelmed” by the outpouring of support.
Matt Searle, of charity LBT Global which is helping the family, told The Independent: “There is a personal message from Debbie to say ‘thank you very much’ for the thousands of messages of love and support she has received.
“She is overwhelmed at the moment but will try to reply to them all in due course.”
Since Jay’s body was located in an “inaccessible” area of a ravine in northwest Tenerife on Monday, dozens of people have sent donations to a GoFundMe page for the family.
Almost £60,000 has now been donated, with more than 150 messages of support left for Jay’s distraught loved ones.
Debbie, Warren and Zak on Tuesday evening left emotional floral tributes in the area Jay, 19, is feared to have fallen to his death.
A teddy bear with England flags on and a bracelet with the letter J on were also placed on a rocky track where Jay was last known to be.
Debbie described Jay as her “beautiful boy” in a touching handwritten note.
She wrote: “I’m so sorry we never found you.
“I miss you so much. You will be forever young and forever missed. Love you so much.”
Jay’s dad Warren, 58, and 24-year-old brother Zak spent weeks searching the unforgiving terrain for a breakthrough after the teenager vanished on June 17.
They retraced the apprentice bricklayer’s steps in the blistering heat for days on their own after Spanish cops suspended their search.
But his body was finally discovered by a helicopter crew on Monday at the bottom of a ravine close to where his mobile phone last pinged.
Warren left a message that simply read: “To my boy. Love dad.”
Zak promised to take care of their parents, writing: “Love you little bro. Never in a million years did I think I’d be doing this.
“I’ll look after Mum and Dad. Hope you’re partying up there with Grandad.
“Hope to see you again some day. Rest easy bro. I love you.”
Jay’s body revealed that he had suffered multiple injuries consistent with an accidental fall from a considerable height.
Spanish officials on the Canary Island used fingerprints to confirm his identity.
His body has now been released to the family to make repatriation arrangements.
A spokesman for the family said: “There are a number of complex issues that need to be addressed before he can finally be flown home to the UK.
“But the plan is for his family to be on the same flight. They want to bring him home.” His body is expected to be repatriated by the start of next week, the spokesman added.
It is possible a UK coroner will then request a second post mortem before he can then be released for a funeral.
Jay, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancs, vanished while on holiday with two pals.
After attending a music festival, he travelled more than 20 miles in the early hours with two men to an Airbnb in the remote village of
Masca but vanished later that morning after leaving on foot.
Shortly before 9am, he called friend Lucy Mae Law to say he was lost, thirsty and that his phone battery was on one per cent.
Jay’s phone last pinged near a hiking trail in the Rural de Teno national park — an 11-hour trek from his apartment.
Police searched the Tenerife mountains for Jay for weeks
MEN MediaTIMELINE OF THE TRAGEDY
THE grim discovery of a body comes after weeks of agony for Jay’s friends and family. Here is how the events unfolded:
Sunday, June 16: Jay and his friends party at the last day of NRG music festival being held at Papagayo night club in Playa de la Americas, Tenerife.
June 17 3-6am: Jay leaves with Ayub Qassim and another man for a £40-a-night Airbnb 23 miles away in the village of Masca.
7.30am: Jay shares a photo on Snapchat standing at doorway of the Airbnb.
8.50am: He calls pal Lucy Mae Law and says he is “lost in the middle of nowhere” with no water, a cut to his leg and one per cent on his phone.
Tuesday, June 18: Pals search area but no sign of Jay. Local cops and mountain rescue teams start official search. Jay’s mother Debbie Duncan flies to Tenerife.
June 19-20: Spanish police deploy drones, dogs and a helicopter, but find no trace. Search moves to Los Cristianos amid possible sighting, but it is ruled out and they return to Rural de Teno, near Masca.
June 21: Lancashire Police offer support but it is declined.
June 22: Mum Debbie issues emotional appeal to Jay saying “We just need you home.”
June 24: Claims of Jay sighting in Santiago del Teide — near to where he disappeared — and family believe a grainy CCTV image could be of him.
June 25: Debbie issues plea for her son to come home as more friends fly out and TV investigator Mark Williams- Thomas joins search.
June 29: Cops rule Mr Qassim, and other man at Airbnb, out of investigation.
June 30: Spanish cops officially suspend hunt but say probe “remains open”. His family continue to search.
July 15: A body is found by helicopter search team close to where his phone last pinged. His possessions are discovered next to human remains. Spanish cops say it points to an “accidental fall”.
Today: Tenerife authorities confirm the body found in mountainous area of island is Jay’s.
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