The bodies of four teenage boys were pulled from an overturned car on Tuesday, following a major search operation in North Wales.
Jevon Hirst, 16, Harvey Owen, 17, Wilf Fitchett and Hugo Morris, 18, were last heard from on Sunday morning following a camping trip to Snowdonia National Park.
North Wales Police said the friends, who had travelled from Shrewsbury, were recovered from the wreck of a silver Ford Fiesta in what appears to have been a tragic accident.
As tributes poured in from across their community in Shropshire, Crystal Owen, the mother of Harvey, said on social media, “I feel like I’m in a nightmare I wish I could wake up from, but I’m not,” adding, “Nothing will make this nightmare go away.”
Here’s everything we know about the crash so far:
Jevon Hirst, Harvey Owen, Wilf Henderson and Hugo Morris were feared missing after they were last heard from on Sunday morning— (PA/North Wales Police)
Who are the victims?
Four teenage boys aged between 16 to 18 years-old were killed in the crash.
Jevon Hirst, Harvey Owen, Wilf Fitchett and Hugo Morris were feared missing after they were last heard from on Sunday morning following a camping trip to Snowdonia National Park, north Wales.
All four boys had been studying for their A-Levels at Shrewsbury College, with Harvey’s mother Crystal Owen that they were “all sensitive, intelligent lads”, who had last used their phones at around midday on Sunday.
Crystal Owen, the mother of Harvey, said she did not know they were going on a camping trip and thought they were going to stay at friend’s grandfather’s house.
The scene in Gwynedd, North Wales, near to where police officers were searching for the teenagers— (PA Wire)
Where was the crash?
The four bodies were recovered from a silver Ford Fiesta on Tuesday morning after travelling from their hometown of Shrewsbury to camp in Snowdonia.
It appears to have left the road on the A4085 at Garreg, near Tremadog and was found overturned and partially submerged in water, with investigations ongoing.
It is believed that the teenagers had been camping in the Eryri area of north Wales, a remote part of the country. Eryri National Park, also known as Snowdonia, is Wales’ largest national park, covering a total of 823sq miles.
On Tuesday, an air ambulance was seen in the area and two ambulance service vehicles drove through the cordon near the villages of Garreg and Llanfrothen.
The boys left Shrewsbury on Saturday afternoon and were due back on Sunday morning. When they failed to return, they were reported missing on Sunday.
Harvey Owen’s phone was last used around lunchtime on Sunday, his mother, Crystal Owen, told the BBC.
On Tuesday morning at around 10am The Welsh Ambulance Service said it was called to reports of an incident near the A4085 between Nantmor and Tan-Lan in Gwynedd.
A 4:30pm on Tuesday, North Wales Police confirmed they had found vehicle with four bodies inside.
Do we know what caused the crash?
It’s not yet clear what the cause of the fatal crash was. North Wales Police said that inquiries into why the car left the road are underway.
Since the boys went missing, their parents have expressed concern about the weather conditions.
Police are thoroughly searching the area where the four teenagers’ car was found as they continue their investigation.— (PA)
Ms Owen said she did not know the teenagers were going on a camping trip and thought they were going to stay at a friend’s grandfather’s house.
She told the BBC: “If I’d have known [where he was going] I wouldn’t have let him due to the winter weather conditions.”
Police are thoroughly searching the area where the four teenagers’ car was found as they continue their investigation.
An underwater search team has been deployed to carry out a detailed search of the area.
Superintendent Owain Llewellyn, of North Wales Police, said: “As part of our investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the four young teenagers in the Garreg area we are continuing to carry out a detailed search of the area where the car was found.”
The A4085 will remain closed whilst these detailed searches are ongoing.
