Yahoo News Jay Slater's mum confirms £36k GoFundMe to be withdrawn - her full statement
Jay Slater's mum has confirmed the £36,000 raised in donations for her missing son will now be withdrawn. In a heartfelt update on her son's GoFundMe page, Debbie expressed her gratitude to supporters and emphasised that the family hasn't given up hope of finding the 19 year old.
She insisted that they will "return home together" once Jay is found. She also outlined how the £36,000 will be spent.
Debbie's full statement on the fundraising page said: "Hi everyone, this is Debbie again. First, I would like to thank everyone for your support, kind messages, and good wishes. It's difficult to wrap our heads around what is happening right now, but we are not losing hope that we will find Jay and return home together.
READ: Jay Slater family in 'living nightmare' as Brit still missing The Tenerife search for Jay Slater has now entered its fifth day
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"We are currently working with GoFundMe to withdraw part of the funds, which are being safely held. I wanted to share that these funds will be used to support the mountain rescue teams who are tirelessly searching for Jay.
"Additionally, since our stay in Tenerife needs to be extended, we will also use the funds to cover accommodation and food expenses. I'm surrounded by wonderful people who are by my side, but far from their loved ones, so we'll also be using part of these funds to fly them to Tenerife so we can support each other during these dark times. Thank you again for all your donations and support, this means the world to us."
The GoFundMe page, named 'Get Jay Slater home', was initiated by Jay's good friend, Lucy Mae Law, with an initial goal of raising £30,000, reports the Mirror. After widespread confusion regarding the allocation of the funds was clarified with the announcement that the money raised would be used to cover travel and accommodation expenses for Jay's friends and family who flew to Tenerife to assist in the search.
Despite setting a £30,000 goal, the fundraiser presently stands at £36,315 in donations from worried members of the public.
Jay is still missing in Tenerife, 10 days after he phoned his friend Lucy Law saying he was disoriented and required water before the call ended prematurely.
Despite extensive search operations involving helicopters, drones, and sniffer dogs, Spanish officials have yet to find any trace of the 19 year old across the rural areas of the Island.
