Jay Slater’s mum, Debbie Duncan, said her son ‘touched the hearts of the nation’ as she thanked all the people who donated to the family’s GoFundMe after the 19-year-old went missing
Jay Slater’s family posted a heartbreaking final update after raising £71,000 on GoFundMe.
The 19-year-old, who was an apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared on the morning of June 17, 2024, while on holiday in Tenerife. His body was found almost a month later on July 15 in a remote near the village of Masca. A post-mortem examination later found his death was instantaneous, and injuries were consistent with a fall.
Since Jay was reported missing, the case was closely followed by people in the UK and worldwide. His loved ones launched a fundraiser to get money for look for him, help his family stay in Tenerife while the search was ongoing, and eventually for his funeral once his body was found.
Last week, the fundraiser was closed and Jay’s mum Debbie Duncan, 56, posted a final message to thank all those who donated. She wrote on November 21: “We would like to thank all you beautiful people who supported us throughout this heartbreaking time. Jay really did touch the hearts of the nation and it truly showed us how much love you all shared with us.
“With your support we were able to stay in Tenerife until we got our beautiful boy back to the UK.” She said the money raised through GoFundMe helped the family fund the Signi search team from the Netherlands who supported the family throughout the days when Jay was found.” The heartbroken mum added: “Jay truly deserved the send off we were able to give him and we thank you all for that.
“We have been overwhelmed with messages of support from all over the globe and will be eternally grateful to all of you. Our journey of trauma and grief will continue for ever and we will never recover. 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.
“Our journey is far from over but the burdens eased with your support. 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. Donations will be turned off with this final message. Jay’s family and friends are trying to come to terms and process this tragic loss and thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
Debbie previously revealed that Jay was due to sit his driving test once back home in the UK. The confident teen had booked in his practical after months preparing for life on the road and his mother Debbie Duncan said her son had so much to live for. She said he also had a career going in the right direction before his life was cut short during the trip earlier this summer.
She said: “Jay was 19 with the world at his feet. He was coming back to a good job and was about to take his driving test. He was just a lovely boy with a massive personality and everybody just loved Jay being in his company – family, friends and work.”
