- Author, Jonny Humphries
- Role, BBC News, Tenerife
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Jay Slater’s family left a series of poignant messages near the area where the 19-year-old’s body was discovered.
One of them was placed next to a rose and read: “I love you, little brother. I never thought I’d do this. I’ll take care of mommy and daddy.”
Another was tied with a blue ribbon and was signed: “To my boy. I love Dad, always.”
Mr Slater, from Oswaldtwistle, was formally identified as the body found in a ravine in the Masca area of Tenerife on Monday, almost a month after he was first reported missing.
Image source, Document to distribute to families
Charity LBT Global told the BBC it was helping to organise the return of the body – with the family facing a wait of at least a week before they can take the teenager’s remains home.
It is understood that some of the nearly £60,000 raised in a GoFundMe appeal could be used to cover repatriation costs if necessary.
On Tuesday, the Civil Guard and the High Court of Justice of the Canary Islands confirmed that the body had injuries consistent with a fall on rocky ground.
Matthew Searle, managing director of LBT Global, which is helping the Slater family, told the BBC he understood the Spanish authorities had carried out all the necessary examinations.
He added that he was confident that insurance should cover the cost of repatriating Mr Slater’s body home, but that there was the possibility of using crowdfunded donations if not.
LBT Global has been assisting Mr Slater’s family with formal procedures through the Spanish court system, which Mr Searle said could be “overwhelming” for grieving relatives.
He said: “There’s so much to do, and obviously when you’re in a foreign country, you don’t speak the language, you don’t have anyone around you to really help you, and you’re in the situation that Jay’s parents are in… it’s just not the kind of thing you can cope with, it’s just overwhelming.”
Image source, Signi Search for dogs
Mr Searle also said the charity would work to ensure Mr Slater’s family were on the same flight when he was repatriated.
“It’s always nice for them to say that we literally brought it home together,” he added.
Mr Slater’s mother, Debbie Duncan, said her family’s “hearts are broken” after her son’s identity was confirmed.
She added: “I can’t believe this could happen to my beautiful boy.”
