Jay Slater’s mum has thanked the mystery person who “looked after” a fundraising page set up after the teenager went missing in Tenerife.
Debbie Duncan thanked all the “beautiful” people who supported Jay’s family throughout the “heartbreaking time” in her latest post on the GoFundMe page, which raised almost £73,000.
In her last post on the GoFundMe page, Ms Duncan said her son “really did touch the hearts of the nation” and the family had been “overwhelmed” by messages of support from all over the world. She said Jay’s family would be eternally grateful, adding their “journey of trauma and grief” will carry on forever.
The grieving mum added: “We would also like to thank the person who looked after Jay’s fundraiser page whom we have been in constant contact with, especially whilst in Tenerife, the support and advice you gave will not be forgotten.”
The page was set up by Jay’s close friend, Lucy Law, who was one of the last people to speak to him before the 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared after partying at the NRG music festival in Playa de las Americas on June 16.
Jay then travelled to the remote village of Masca, staying in an AirBnB with people he had met during the course of the night. He then tried walking back to Playa de las Americas, but called Miss Law to say he had no idea where he was. His phone battery ran out shortly afterwards.
His disappearance led to widespread media coverage as well as false claims and speculation circulated on social media. At one point in the search, Ms Duncan pleaded for Spanish police to be allowed to pursue their investigation withouth hindrance.
Jay’s going missing also sparked a huge search operation, with teams scouring Masca and Rural de Teno park. Lancashire Police offered to assist, but Spanish police turned the force down, saying they were satisfied they had all the resources they needed for the missing persons case.
About a week after Jay went missing, the fundraiser hit its £30,000 target, but the family confirmed none of it had been drawn on.
In her GoFundMe post, Ms Duncan explained that the donations meant the family was able to stay in Tenerife until they could bring their “beautiful boy” back to Britain.
The family also used part of the proceeds to pay for a Dutch search team, whose members supported the family after Jay’s body was discovered on July 15 – 29 days after he went missing.
His body was found not far from the spot where his mobile phone last emitted a signal. Spanish police said they believed Jay died after a fall from height as a result of an accident.
After the discovery, missing persons charity, LBT Global, which had been supporting Jay’s family, asked for space and privacy so the relatives could come to terms with the tragic news.
Ms Duncan said: “We lost our beautiful boy in extremely tragic circumstances whilst the world watched. We do not and will never understand how Jay’s story reached every corner of the globe.”
In a direct address to donors, she said: “Our journey is far from over but the burdens eased with your support.”
