NEWS UPDATE:
A teenager has died while on a holiday with friends in Tenerife.
The body of Max Sumner was found in an area of wasteland close to his hotel on the Canary island.
It is believed the 17-year-old, from Worthing, fell to his death after taking a short-cut back to his hotel following a night out in the popular resort of Playa de Las Americas in southern Tenerife.
Staff at the cafe in Marks and Spencer in Montague Street, Worthing, where Max worked, are said to be shocked and upset by the tragedy.
Friend Chris Stribblehill posted on the social networking site Facebook: “It is terribly sad. He was so young, I can’t stop thinking about it.”
Another colleague Michelle Harris said on the site: “It’s just so sad and unfair. I really feel for his parents.”
His friends reported Max missing after he failed to arrive back at their shared accommodation on Thursday.
A passer-by found his body around 10am the next day, according to local media reports.
Police initially launched a murder investigation but have since ruled out foul play.
Yesterday his family, who live in Stanley Road, Worthing, were too upset to talk about the tragedy.
It is believed Max was split up from his friends during the night out and wandered off alone.
One friend said: “It was a tragic accident."
Playa de Las Americas is a popular holiday destination for young people.
Max, said to be a talented footballer, was found in a riverbed called Barranco de Troya, an area near to the main resort nightlife.
He had suffered major head and chest injuries and a full post-mortem is to be carried out by the Institute of Legal Medicine, in Santa Cruz, Tenerife.
Police on the island are handling the case although Sussex Police have offered help in a bid to fully establish Max’s last movements.
A spokesman for the force said: “We have delivered the news to his family but we are not involved in the investigation at this stage, though we might be at a later date.”
It is believed that the teenager’s family flew to the island after he was reported missing.
A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office confirmed they were offering consular assistance to Max's family.
Source: Theargus.co.uk