Heartbreaking moment teenage girl hugs her boyfriend before his life support is turned off five days after he was swept out to sea on family trip during heatwave
A teenage girl lies with her head on the chest of her sweetheart – just moments before his life support was turned off.
The heartbreaking photo captures the poignant moment Stephanie Ray, 15, bid farewell to her boyfriend Blake Ward, 16, who was tragically swept out to sea last week.
Blake was one of three teenagers rescued from the sea in Tywyn, Gwynedd in north west Wales after being swept away from the shore while on a family trip.
It is thought the boy from Dudley went for a swim to cool down in the heat before being swept out by currents.
He was flown to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool where he was placed on life support.
Two helicopters, three lifeboats, two coastguard teams, paramedics and police were called to the seafront on Tuesday to reports of boys in the water, reports the Mirror.
But on Saturday morning doctors and next of kin decided to switch off the equipment, ending his life.
Before this, however, Stephanie was photographed sharing a final moment of intimacy with the much-loved boy.
She was at his side every second from when he was pulled from the water until the moment doctors let him go.
In her final goodbye she climbed into his hospital bed and placed one of Blake’s arm around her.
Stephanie snatched a final moment with her beloved moments before his life support machine was turned off by doctors
The much-loved schoolboy attended Hillcrest School and Community College in Netheron, Dudley
The condition of the other two boys remains unknown.
Taking to Facebook that day, Becky wrote: ‘Blake, our beautiful, brave, kind-hearted, clever boy sadly passed away at 7.03 this morning.’
Stephanie and Blake’s friends and family are raising money to pay for the boy’s wake. Their GoFundMe page has raised an astonishing £1,200 so far.
The teen posted the moving picture on her Facebook page with a heartfelt message.
‘Today has been the hardest day for me and it will be a day I will never be able to forget,’ she wrote.
‘As some of you may know Blake was involved in a terrible accident on Tuesday.
Friends and family of Blake are fundraising to pay for the boy’s wake. Pictured: Flowers left as tributes to the 16-year-old
Blake’s life was also celebrated by a flypast during the Caderman event, a triathlon in Tywyn which see participants go from sea level to summit in one day
‘I have been by his side through it all and I haven’t left him. As you all know Blake was a loving a caring person and would do anything for anyone.
‘We was told yesterday that Blake would never recover and his brain was to damaged and we had to make the hard decision of turning his machine off and let him go.’
She continued: ‘But just know Blake wasn’t in any pain and he passed away with his family around him and he will forever be missed and he will always have a special place in my heart and I will never forget you Blake fly high my baby boy and I’m gonna make you proud love you and I always will’.
Others paid heartfelt tributes to the boy over the weekend.
On Saturday morning, local coastguard did a flypast during the Caderman event, a triathlon in Tywyn which see participants go from sea level to summit in one day, and a minute’s silence was held.
Blake’s headmistress at Hillcrest School and Community College in Netheron also paid tribute to the boy in a speech, local media reports.
