A mother's worst nightmare became a heartbreaking reality in North Wales, UK, when a group of teenagers, who embarked on a camping trip, lay undiscovered in their upturned car for almost two days.
The tragic incident has left families and the local community devastated.
The group of students, consisting of Jevon Hirst, 16, Harvey Owen, 17, Wilf Fitchett, 17, and Hugo Morris, 18, set off on their adventure to Harlech on a Saturday with plans to camp in the national park on Sunday and return home to Shrewsbury on Monday, the Daily Mail reports.
However, when the youngsters stopped responding to messages around midday on Sunday and failed to return home as scheduled, their parents reported them missing.
The harrowing search for the missing teens came to a tragic end when their Ford Fiesta was discovered on its roof near the village of Garreg, partially submerged in a ditch off a remote road. The discovery occurred almost two days after their last contact.
One of the devastated mothers, Crystal Owen, expressed her profound grief, stating, "I feel like I'm in a nightmare I wish I could wake up from but I'm not. I just wanted to say I do appreciate people's kindness, but no amount of messages is going to help me overcome this. Nothing will make this nightmare go away."
As the investigation continues, critical questions surrounding the circumstances of the accident remain unanswered. It appears that the teenagers were en route to camping in Snowdonia National Park, but their plans went awry. The remote area they chose lacked a strong phone signal, making them uncontactable.
Local councillor June Jones commented on the area's mobile signal issues, saying, "This valley here there is no mobile signal, so I think most of us assumed, 'Oh they're out of signal, they've gone camping, they're having fun.'"
The tragic accident occurred when their car veered off the "narrow and windy" A4085 road near a bend. The vehicle ended up in a water-filled ditch approximately 8 feet below road level. The inclement weather and the car's location, concealed from the road, contributed to the delay in discovering the accident.
The families of the missing teenagers pleaded with friends on social media to share missing persons appeals. The search involved a vast and remote area of North Wales, with the coastguard helicopter and mountain rescue volunteers conducting an exhaustive search overnight.
The grim discovery was ultimately made by a member of the public who spotted the overturned silver Ford Fiesta between Garreg and Port Aberglaslyn, partially submerged in water. North Wales Police confirmed that the bodies of the four young males had been recovered from the vehicle.
Tributes have poured in for the boys, with heartfelt condolences from friends, family, and the community. Shrewsbury Town Council canceled its Christmas lights switch-on event in light of the tragedy, and churches in Shrewsbury opened their doors to console the shocked community.
The road where the accident occurred was temporarily closed, and a thorough investigation is ongoing to understand the circumstances that led to this devastating incident. The families of the victims, along with the entire community, are grappling with the profound sorrow brought on by this tragedy.
MP (UK congressman) for Shrewsbury and Atcham, Daniel Kawczynski, expressed his condolences, saying, "The whole country were desperately hoping Jevon, Harvey, Wilf, and Hugo would be found safe and well, and this news is devastating."
As the investigation continues, the community seeks answers, and tributes continue to pour in for the four young lives tragically lost in this heartbreaking accident.