Jay Slater ‘was killed instantly’ after horror fall, family believe as they reveal when they expect to repatriate body

JAY Slater’s family believe the teen was killed instantly after falling from height in Tenerife.

Searchers discovered remains in a ravine on Monday – four weeks after Jay, 19, disappeared while on holiday with pals.

Jay, 19, had been missing on the island of Tenerife since June 17

A family spokesman told Mail Online: “It looks as if he fell from a height so he would most likely have been killed instantly and he wasn’t there for a long time.

“There will be a post-mortem in Tenerife and probably one in the UK and repatriation should be within a week or so it’s all time dependent.”

He said “the whole family is absolutely broken” – but “they appreciate the remoteness” of the area and “there is no criticism of the search”.

Jay vanished 29 days ago after going to a rave the night before with friends – sparking a huge effort to find the Lancashire teen.

Spanish cops axed the official search less than two weeks in – but a body was discovered on Monday in the area Jay was last known to have been.

Police said “everything is pointing” to the body being Jay’s – and initial evidence suggests he tragically died after an “accidental fall”.

A spokesman said: “Everything is pointing to the body being that of the young British man who disappeared on June 17, pending full identification.”

They added the search was “complicated” due to the “very difficult terrain”.

It’s understood the body was found close to where Jay’s phone last pinged – along with his belongings and clothes.

But Spanish cops have refused to reveal the exact location where the body was found.

Dramatic footage showed rescue workers using a helicopter to reach an “inaccessible” ravine and recover the body.

Jay’s mum Debbie Duncan, 55, is said to be “totally devastated” – and demanding answers over how police search teams missed the body.

A family source said: “It’s the news they have been dreading. She has lots of questions.”

A spokesperson for Lancashire Police said they had been notified that a body was found – and “the indications are that this is Jay Slater”.

They added: “While at this stage no formal identification has been carried out our thoughts are very much with Jay’s family at this time, and we continue to offer them our support.”

An autopsy is expected to take place in the next couple of days in the northern Tenerife city of La Laguna.

More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online

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