By Guy Hedgecoe & Jonny Humphries, Lynette Horsburgh, BBC News
Family handout
The mother of British teenager Jay Slater says the family’s “hearts are broken” after a body found in Tenerife was confirmed as her son.
Debbie Duncan said in statement that her son’s death was the “worst news”, adding: “I just can’t believe this could happen to my beautiful boy.”
Officials say the 19-year-old’s death is a result of “trauma consistent with a fall in a rocky area”, adding that fingerprint tests showed the body found in Masca on Monday was Mr Slater.
Earlier, charity LBT Global had confirmed that Mr Slater’s possessions were also discovered near his last known location.
The teenager, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, was last seen on 17 June, after visiting an Airbnb rented by two people he had been with at the NRG music festival on the island.
‘Fall from considerable height’
Earlier, the High Court of Justice of the Canary Islands said: “We have a positive identification and more data: fingerprint tests show that the body is [that] of Jay Slater and that the death was caused by trauma consistent with a fall in a rocky area.”
LBT Global’s Matthew Searle was with Mr Slater’s mother when they heard the news that the body had been identified as her son and said the family were devastated.
He said: “The announcement does seem to confirm that Jay died of injuries consistent with an accidental fall from a considerable height.”
Mr Searle said the charity, which helps families in missing persons cases overseas, would be supporting the family “to make this horrific time as easy as possible”.
He added: “We are working with the family now to sort out the next steps of taking Jay home, recovery of his belongings and laying him to rest.”
An earlier court statement today said that documentation found with the body belonged to the apprentice bricklayer.
“It is confirmed that the documentation that was on the body found yesterday in the mountains of Masca belongs to Jay Slater,” it said.
It went on to add that “everything suggests that it was an accidental fall” but the results of the official investigation into the death would take more time.
Mr Slater’s body was discovered by members of a mountain rescue team from the Spanish Civil Guard, near the village of Masca.
Spanish police released video footage of rescuers climbing rock faces and battling through scrub as they had carried out the search.
Part of the clip showed two members of the search team being winched out of the area by helicopter after the body had been found.
They said Mr Slater could have fallen in the steep and inaccessible area where he was discovered.
Jo Cann, from Hertfordshire, is on holiday in Tenerife close to where Jay Slater was last seen before he got into a car and headed north to the mountains.
From the busy Playa de El Bobo beach, she said it was “really sad” news.
“I wouldn’t like to begin to imagine what they are going through,” Ms Cann added.
Earlier, a friend of Jay Slater had paid tribute to “the happiest and most smiley person in the room”, after the news a body had been found in Tenerife.
Lucy Law, who was the last known person to speak to Mr Slater during a phone call on 17 June, paid tribute to him on her Instagram page.
She said: “Honestly lost for words. Always the happiest and most smiley person in the room, you was (sic) one of a kind Jay and you’ll be missed more than you know.”
Ms Law’s tribute continued: “I’m sure you’ll ‘have your dancing shoes polished and ready’ waiting for us all.
“We all love you buddy. Fly high.”
Accrington and Rossendale College, where Mr Slater was studying as an apprentice bricklayer, said it was “deeply saddened” to hear the news of his death.
It added, Mr Slater was a “hard-working apprentice” at the college “with a very bright future ahead of him”.
“Our thoughts and condolences go out to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him.”
The head teachers of the primary and high school Mr Slater attended in Oswaldtwistle have issued a joint tribute to him.
Andrew Williams, head teacher of Rhyddings High School, and James McBride, head teacher of West End Primary School, said: “All members of our school communities, both past and present, share in our condolences and deepest sympathies for those who knew Jay.
“As a devoted mother, we know Debbie would have never given up looking for Jay, and she and the family are firmly in our thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.”
Hyndburn and Haslingden MP Sarah Smith said the news was “heartbreaking”.
She added: “This is the worst news a parent could ever receive.”
