Jay Slater's mum reveals what she will do with £70k GoFundMe - but one question raised
Jay's mum asked for people to keep donating to support the family after his remains were found this week.
Jay Slater's mother will use the £70,000 raised to repatriate her son's body after his tragic death in Teno Rural Park in northwest Tenerife, it has been claimed.
It was confirmed earlier this week that remains found in the rural part of the Spanish island belonged to Jay, who went missing on June 17 after leaving the NRG music festival.
Jay went to an Airbnb in Masca with two men he met at the festival. The next morning, the Airbnb owner saw Jay set off on foot after missing his bus back.
While walking, he called his friend Lucy and told her he was low on phone battery and was in need of water. This was the last anyone had heard from him.
After a weeks-long search, the 19-year-old's remains were finally found in a treacherous part of the Teno Rural Park.
Officials later said that Jay died after falling onto rocks.
READ MORE Jay Slater's family could have 'walked past body' in Tenerife search [LATEST]
His mother, Debbie Duncan, said on Tuesday that the family's "hearts are broken" and she "can't believe this could happen to my beautiful boy".
Speaking on behalf of the family, Matthew Searle, chief executive of the missing persons charity LBT Global, told the Daily Mail that Debbie will use some of the £70,000 raised on Jay's GoFundMe page to help bring his remains back to the UK.
This has raised questions about what the rest of the money will be used for, however, given that the cost of repatriation is a fraction of the £70,000 figure.
According to Homeland International, specialists in body repatriation, the cost varies but it "usually tends to be somewhere around £3,000 to £6,000."
This fee would include the embalming process, a coffin suitable for flying, and confirmation that the remains are free of any infections.
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The Mail reports that Debbie will make a donation to LBT Global as a thank you for their support.
In a statement following the identification of Jay's remains, Debbie said: "Hello everyone, thank you for all of your kindness, support and condolences in light of the tragic news that Jay's body has been found. We are overwhelmed with grief and are so grateful for your support.
"The wonderful team from the Netherlands, Signi Zoekhondon, have remained in Spain all week and have continued to support us since Jay was found.
"They are due to fly home in the coming days and we are so appreciative of their dedication and support.
"We would like to thank LBT Global for their support during this impossible time. We are working with agencies to arrange Jay's repatriation to the UK and the remaining funds, along with any future donations will be used to help with this if needed and to pay for Jay's funeral costs back home.
"We want to give our boy the send-off he deserves so please do continue to share and support our fundraiser however you can."
