4 teenagers found dead in car after nightmarish camping accident

The students were found in an overturned vehicle in the British region of Snowdonia.

Four teenagers found dead in a car after a camping accident in the UK

Welsh police said in a statement posted on Facebook on Tuesday that the bodies were recovered from a vehicle that had apparently left the road.

Jevon Hirst, Harvey Owen, Wilf Fitchett and Hugo Morris, aged between 16 and 18, had been missing since Sunday morning.

“This appears to have been a tragic accident and our thoughts are with the families and friends of the four young men at this very difficult time,” North Wales Police Superintendent Owain Llewellyn said in the statement.

“This has been an extensive search involving a number of different organizations and volunteers, and unfortunately this is not the outcome any of us would have wanted,” he continued. “We ask that the family be given the privacy and respect they deserve.”

Related topics: 14-year-old driver killed, 3 other children seriously injured when speeding car crashes into trees

Authorities added that investigations into the causes of the incident are still ongoing.

According to the BBC, a citizen alerted police on Tuesday morning to the location of an overturned Ford Fiesta, which was also partially submerged in the water.

According to a press release on the police website on Tuesday, police confirmed that officers had found the car the teenagers were travelling in in the Porthmadog region of Wales “following information received from a member of the public”.

Related: 5 teens, including 4 peers, die after car crashes into Florida pond: ‘Tragic loss’

Meanwhile, local councillor June Jones told the BBC: “The car was only discovered when a passing lorry driver saw it from the elevated vantage point of his cab.”

After the accident, Harvey Owen’s mother Crystal posted on Facebook on Wednesday: “I feel like I’m in a nightmare that I wish I could wake up from, but I don’t,” said The guard.

“I just wanted to say that I appreciate the kindness of people, but no amount of messages will help me get over this. Nothing will make this nightmare go away,” she added.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

It is believed that the boys, who attended the same school in England, were camping in the Eryri region of Wales, also known as Snowdonia. The remote area is a popular hiking and camping destination and is home to Mount Snowdon, the highest point in Britain outside the Scottish Highlands.

The teens’ school, Shrewsbury College, also paid tribute to them in a statement seen by PEOPLE on Tuesday.

“We would like to express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the four young men who tragically lost their lives in the suspected road traffic accident,” the statement began. “This news is truly heartbreaking and our thoughts are with those affected by this tragic news.”

“We would like to thank the emergency services and local mountain rescue teams, as well as members of the public, for their help in searching for and locating the vehicle,” the statement continued. “We will be working directly with the students and staff affected by the terrible accident and have put in place a range of support measures for our entire community.”

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive more People news!

Read the original article on People.