Jay Slater’s death ruled an accident as mum says 'lives will never be the same'

Jay Slater's mum, Debbie Duncan, has said the lives of her family 'will never be the same' after an inquest ruled that the teenager had died accidentally in Tenerife last year.

Slater had travelled to Tenerife with friends for a music festival but went with people he met to an Airbnb on the night of 16 June, 2024.

The following morning, he had attempted to walk back to his hotel, a journey that would have taken him 14 hours, when an inquest heard that he fell down a ravine after he left the road he'd been walking on.

The inquest, held at Preston Coroner's Court, heard that Slater had called his friends on a phone with low battery to tell them he was 'in the middle of the mountains' and needed a drink.

Officials were told that Slater had attempted the 14 hour walk after a night where he'd consumed drugs and alcohol, and his body was found almost a month after he went missing near the village of Masca.

Jay Slater died accidentally, an inquest has heard (Family Handout)

"Our lives will never be the same"

At the inquest, Jay's mum Debbie said: "He loved his family very much and was not afraid to show affection.

"He was very loved and our hearts are broken. Our lives will never be the same without Jay in it."

She had told the inquest that her son had a 'wonderful life' and was a 'joy to be around', with Debbie speaking of her son's 'large circle of friends who have been left devastated' by his death.

Slater's mum added that her son had been learning to drive and 'had so many plans and a bright future ahead of him', and had been looking forward to his trip to Tenerife.

"Never in a million years did we predict what was to unfold. Jay was a bundle of fun with a constant smile," Debbie said.

Jay's mum Debbie said her family 'will never be the same' without her son (Family Handout)

"No third party involved"

Coroner Dr James Adeley told the court that Slater 'died an accidental death' and there was 'no third party involved' in the fall which claimed his life.

Investigations into Slater's disappearance looked into the identities of the people he'd left the music festival with.

He had gone to an Airbnb with two men named Ayub Qassim and Steven Roccas and stayed there overnight, and the investigation looked into claims of a 'stolen Rolex'.

However, Qassim said he was certain that Slater 'didn't steal a watch', explaining that the teenager had asked him for a phone charger and then gone out to wait for a bus despite being told they didn't come by very often.

A coroner said there was 'no third party involved' in Slater's death (Family Handout)

"He would have died instantly"

It is believed that he fell around 20 to 25 metres, with the inquest hearing that the 19-year-old most likely died instantly as a result of a 'severe, traumatic brain injury'.

The coroner said: "Whilst attempting to descend the ravine Jay fell in a difficult area. Jay Slater fell approximately 20 to 25 metres resulting in skull fracture and brain trauma from which he would have died instantly."

Slater's bag, containing his passport, phone and canisters of nitrous oxide, was found around 20 metres away from where his body was discovered.

His death was ruled accidental and in a dangerous place (Family Handout)

"Jay fell at a particularly dangerous area"

The coroner added that Slater had fallen while attempting to traverse 'difficult terrain'.

He had left the road he was walking on and fell down the Juan Lopez Ravine, an area of Tenerife with sheer cliffs.

A report into his death said it would have been 'easy' for Slater to have slipped on the rocks and fallen to his death.

Marieke Krans, from Dutch rescue charity Signi Zoekhonden which helped in the search for Slater, said the area he fell in was 'really steep, really dangerous'.