A teenager who was missing in Tenerife for over four weeks is due to be laid to rest on Saturday, with his family promising that his funeral service will be a “celebration” of his life.
Jay Slater, 19, died while on holiday after falling from a height in the remote Rural de Teno national park after travelling to the Spanish island with friends to attend a music festival.
After leaving the tourist area of Playa de Las Americas during the early hours of 17 June, he travelled to a remote AirBnb in the Masca valley, before attempting to trek the 11-hour walk about to his hotel through the mountainous area.
Well-wishers who attend his funeral on August 10 have been asked to wear something blue in his memory.
Mr Slater’s loved ones have also asked that, instead of flowers, people could donate to LBT Global, an overseas crisis support charity which helped his family through their heartache.
The body of the teenager, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, who died shortly after he last spoke to his friends at around 8.50am, was returned to the UK last week.
A post-mortem examination found he died of traumatic head injuries, consistent with a fall from height, and that his death would have been instantaneous.
The “celebration of life service” is to take place at Accrington Cemetery Chapel prior to interment.
Floral tributes will come from the family but “if anyone would like to bring a single rose to place with Jay, they are more than welcome”, his relatives said in a statement issued through LBT Global.
Mr Slater, an apprentice bricklayer, was also remembered in a tribute from his family which outlined the major events and passions of his life.
They stated: “A loving son of Debbie and Warren, a cherished brother of Zak and brother-in-law of Jessica, a treasured grandson of Dawn, June and the late Dougie, a much-loved nephew of Glen and Katie, a dear cousin of Maddie and Tillie and a loyal friend to many. Jay will be very sadly missed by all those who knew him.”
The family said: “After Jay left Rhyddings High School he went on to become an apprentice bricklayer with the PH Build group, a job he greatly enjoyed.
“At the young age of five Jay started playing football for Huncoat United FC until the age of 17 and also did a few seasons with the Sunday team at St Joesph’s too.
“He also loved spending time chilling out with his friends.
“Jay’s love of music and dance started at a very young age. He loved attending music festivals and events across the country and also loved to socialise and meet new people.”
Mr Slater attended the NRG music festival with two friends before his disappearance, before travelling to Masca with two older British men who had rented a property.
Police later said the two men were “not relevant” to the case. In his last phone call to his friend Lucy Law, he said that he was lost, dehydrated, had injured his leg and only had one per cent phone battery.
The Spanish Civil Guard said Mr Slater could have fallen in the steep and inaccessible area where he was discovered.
His disappearance prompted a number of wild conspiracy theories to appear online, which included accusations against his family over their GoFundMe page and claims that Mr Slater had been spotted watching the Euro football matches.
However, after 29 days with searches conducted by both police, mountain rescue and amateur searchers, his body was found in a steep and inaccessible area of the remote park.
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