The search for missing British traveller Joshua Kershaw ended in tragedy when his family confirmed he was found dead in Bangkok, Thailand.
Kershaw, 21, from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, flew to Bangkok on January 12 for a holiday. He was expected to travel to Pattaya and return to the UK on January 19. When he did not board his flight and stopped answering calls, his family raised the alarm.
The UK Foreign Office and Thai authorities treated the case as high risk. Supporters also launched a GoFundMe to help with the search and repatriation costs.
In a social media post, his mother, Jenny, confirmed the heartbreaking news.
“As much as my heart is breaking right now, we have now located Josh,” she wrote. “But unfortunately, he was not alive. We are now trying to get his body back to the UK.”
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Family members later said his body was found in his Bangkok hotel room on January 14. They said he was discovered in bed with a bandage around his arm.
His aunt, Jade Kershaw, said the family first believed he had travelled to Pattaya.
“We thought he had made it to Pattaya, but the police told us he never left Bangkok,” she said.
Jade described Joshua as a happy young man who loved to travel.
“He was always happy and there were never any bad moments with him,” she said.
Thai authorities are investigating his death, and a post-mortem is expected before his body can be returned to the UK.
“We can’t bring him home until the investigation and post-mortem are completed,” Jade said.
The family said the GoFundMe money will now go towards repatriation and funeral costs. Jade thanked everyone who supported the search.
“Your kindness and support have meant more to us than we can ever express.”