Jay Slater's mum closes GoFundMe and confirms how she spent £71,000 of donations

The family of Jay Slater, a 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, has posted a final update after raising £71,000 on GoFundMe. Jay disappeared while on holiday in Tenerife on the morning of June 17, 2024, and his body was discovered nearly a month later on July 15 near the village of Masca.

A post-mortem examination revealed that his death was instantaneous and the injuries were consistent with a fall. The case garnered attention both in the UK and globally, with a fundraising campaign launched to aid in the search for Jay, support his family's stay in Tenerife during the search, and eventually cover his funeral costs, reports the Mirror.

Last week, the fundraiser was closed and Jay's mother, Debbie Duncan, 56, posted a heartfelt message of gratitude to all those who donated. On November 21, she wrote: "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."

She added that the funds raised helped the family hire the Signi search team from the Netherlands, who provided support when Jay was found.

The grieving mother concluded: "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."