Photo captures tragic moment girlfriend lays her head on her boyfriend's chest, moments before his life support is turned off
A heart-rending photo of a teenage girl lying next to her boyfriend just moments before doctors pulled the plug on his life support has gone viral.
15-year-old Stephanie Ray had to say goodbye to her boyfriend, 16-year-old Blake Ward, who was involved in a tragic swimming accident last week.
While on a family trip, Blake and two other teenagers had to be rescued from the sea of Tywyn, Gwynedd in north-west Wales, after they were sept away in a rip current.
After the rescue operation, Blake was rushed to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool and was immediately placed on life support by hospital authorities.
According to the Mirror, two coastguard teams, two helicopters, three lifeboats, police, and paramedics responded to reports of the boys in distress on Tuesday.
However, doctors, along with the teenager's family members, decided to switch off life support equipment on Saturday morning after the family was informed there was no hope he would recover.
Stephanie, Blake's heartbroken girlfriend, was later photographed sharing the last few moments with her love, sleeping next to him on the hospital bed.
She was with Blake every step of the way - right from when he was rescued until the moment he was let go.
In a candid moment, she took her boyfriend's arm and placed it around her as she bid him farewell for the last time.
The condition of the other two teenagers is as yet unknown.
Becky, Blake's bereaved mother, took to Facebook: "Blake, our beautiful, brave, kind-hearted, clever boy sadly passed away at 7.03 this morning."
Blake's friends and family have set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds to pay for his wake. So far, they have raised $7,375, far exceeding their goal.
Stephanie posted the photo on her Facebook and wrote a heartbreaking 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.
"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 too damaged and we had to make the hard decision of turning his machine off and let him go.'
She concluded: "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."