‘If I’d known I wouldn’t have let him go’
The mum of one of four teenage boys whose bodies were found after the car they were travelling in crashed said she didn’t know he was on a camping trip.
Best friends from Shrewsbury, Jevon Hirst, Harvey Owen, Wilf Henderson, and Hugo Morris, who were all aged between 16 and 18, were travelling through Harlech and Porthmadog when they were last heard from on Sunday November 19.
After they were reported missing, police began a frantic search for their car, before eventually locating their silver Ford Fiesta in Gwynedd, north Wales.
Police later confirmed that four bodies had been recovered from the overturned vehicle.
It is believed they had gone camping in Eyri National Park, but that none of the four were experienced campers and had only travelled with basic equipment, the Mirror reports.
Before the discovery of the vehicle and bodies, Owen’s mother revealed she didn’t know the four teenagers were going on a camping trip, and thought they were instead going to stay at a friend’s grandad’s house.
Crystal Owen said that if she’d known they were going camping she would have stopped them because of the weather forecast.
She said: “If I’d have known, I wouldn’t have let him due to the winter weather conditions. They are all sensitive, intelligent lads and we are just hoping they parked up, got lost and are OK.”
In a statement on Tuesday afternoon following the discovery of the bodies, Superintendant Owan Llewellyn said: “At present, this appears to have been a tragic accident, and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the four young men at this very difficult time.
“This has been an extensive search involving a number of different agencies and volunteers, and this is sadly not the outcome that any of us would have wanted. We would ask that the family be afforded the appropriate privacy and respect.”
He later told reporters: “Police officers attended and located a Ford Fiesta vehicle on its roof, partially submerged in water. Tragically, the bodies of four young males were recovered from within the vehicle.”
Inquiries are still ongoing to establish the circumstances that led to the car crash.
Shrewsbury and Atcham MP, Daniel Kawczynski, described the news as “truly heartbreaking”.
“Yesterday evening I received messages of condolences from friends across the political spectrum in the House of Commons,” he said.
“The whole country were desperately hoping the boys would be found safe and well and this news is devastating.”
Shrewsbury Town Council has also taken the decision to cancel the town’s Christmas lights switch-on following the tragedy.
Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “My thoughts are with their family and friends during this incredibly difficult time as they deal with the unimaginable”.
The four boys were A-level students at the Shrewsbury College. In a statement, Shrewsbury Colleges Group said it was “truly heartbreaking” and “tragic” and said “our thoughts go out to those affected”.
The group said it would be working directly with affected students and staff and had “put in place a range of support measures for all our community”.
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