The mother of one of the boys killed in the Snowdonia car crash has said “the fact Harvey will always be 17 is unbearable to think of” in her first public tribute.

Harvey Owen was found dead alongside his three friends Wilf Fitchett, Hugo Morris and Jevon Hirst, all from Shrewsbury, near Garreg in North Wales on Tuesday. 

In a statement shared by North Wales Police, Harvey’s mother, Crystal, said: “Laid back, charismatic, cheeky, a boy not of his time, he always thought outside the box, he was creative and funny.

“A boy that preferred to be outside and active. He was the most gentle soul, always feeling empathy for people and seeing the good in everyone.”

The close-knit group had been planning a camping trip in Snowdonia National Park last weekend, and were due to return home on Monday morning.

They were last seen at midday on Sunday and are thought to have been travelling north on the A4085 near the village of Garreg when they crashed.

Their silver Ford Fiesta was discovered “upside down and partially submerged” on Tuesday after a widespread search. 

In the first tribute from the families since the deaths were announced, Ms Owen said: “The fact that Harvey will always be 17 is unbearable to think of and even harder to accept.

“Please hold your loved ones tight, all the minor things we worry about are irrelevant, life is so short and can be so cruel.

“I’ve lost my boy, the boy I absolutely adored, and I can’t accept that I won’t be able to hold him again or tell him I love him again.”

Flowers were placed at the site of the crash on Thursday for the first time since the tragedy, with one bouquet held down with a small stone in the ditch where the boys’ silver Ford Fiesta was found partly submerged.

Police investigating the deaths of the four boys have appealed for dashcam footage from the 48 hours before they were found.

The force said that the teenagers’ families are receiving support by Police Family Liaison officers.

Ms Owen described Harvey as “perfect when he came into the world and he will go out that way,” and added that “he was and will forever be a son we can be proud of”.

“There is nothing a time to lose a child but this feels so much more gut wrenching as he was literally thriving in life and had everything to live for,” she added.

Speaking about Harvey’s relationship with his siblings, she said: “From the moment Harvey was born, he was special, a truly longed for baby who made me feel so complete and a much-wanted sibling for Yasmin.

The bond between them was something every parent would dream of. He idolised his big sister and spent his whole life looking up to her and copying everything she ever did down to his quirky, sometimes questionable fashion sense and even his feminist views.

“Harvey grew up to be family orientated, he had two younger sisters, Sophia and Olivia who he absolutely adored and who idolised him, their big brother. He was never too old for a hug.”

The town of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, where all the boys were from, was left in mourning after the four teenagers were found dead, and the council cancelled its annual Christmas lights switch-on.

Dough and Oil, where Harvey had been working for two years, also closed on Wednesday following his death.

His mother spoke about his recently developed “passion for working with bread” and said that he “dreamed of one day having his own bread shop and café”.

“Quirky, a trendsetter, loving, pure and hilarious, he was so dopey at times it was annoying but he was so lovable it was hard to stay mad at him for long!”

The village of Garreg in North Wales, the nearest settlement to where the boys were found, also laid flowers and written tributes to the boys.

Investigations into what happened to the four friends in Snowdonia are ongoing.