The mother of British teenager Jay Slater, who was found dead on holiday in Tenerife, has appealed for more donations to help her “give him the send-off he deserves”.
In a statement released Thursday, Debbie Duncan asked people to “continue to share and support our fundraiser however you can.”
The GoFundMe page ‘Get Jay Slater Home’ was set up shortly after his disappearance to help with the family’s travel and accommodation costs while they were on the island searching for him. It has raised more than £59,000 to date.
Earlier this week, local authorities confirmed that a body had been found by rescuers near the village of Masca. belonged to the 19-year-old.
He had attended a music festival in the southern resort of Playa de las Americas on June 16 and was driven to the Masca region.
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Flowers were laid near the ravine where the body was found
Friend posts emotional statement
When he spoke to his friend Lucy Law the next morning, he told her he was lost, needed water and that his phone had 1% battery, adding that he planned to walk back to his holiday accommodation in Los Cristianos – a journey of around 11 hours.
When he was reported missing, a search team scoured a large area around Masca, with the help of Mr Slater’s family, friends and local volunteers.
The high-profile disappearance saw strangers travel to the island to help with the search, including TikTok star Callum Fahim.
After the identity of the body found by rescuers was confirmed on Tuesday, Ms Duncan said the family’s “hearts are broken” and she “can’t believe this could happen to my beautiful boy”.
The area near the village of Masca that was searched
Tribute to Jay Slater near the place where he disappeared. Photo: Jesus Cabrera
In her latest statement, she said: “Hello everyone, thank you for all your kindness, support and condolences in light of the tragic news of Jay’s body being found. We are overwhelmed with grief and are so grateful for your support.
“The wonderful team from the Netherlands, Signi Zoekhondon, have been in Spain all week and have continued to support us since Jay was found.
“They are expected to return home in the coming days and we are very grateful for their dedication and support.
“We would like to thank LBT Global for their support during this impossible time. We are working with agencies to arrange Jay’s repatriation to the UK and the remaining funds, along with any future donations, will be used to help where needed and to pay for Jay’s funeral expenses at home.
“We want to give our boy the send-off he deserves, so please continue to share and support our fundraiser however you can.”
