It is hard to fathom the pain of losing a child, but to be confronted with the spot where it happened is unimaginable.
After arriving in Argentina to collect Liam's body, grief-stricken Geoff Payne visited the CasaSur hotel in Buenos Aires where his son died. He peered over the balcony to look down at where his only boy was found and pronounced dead from his injuries, before being led to the ground floor to stand close to the place itself.
Then he courageously stepped out to greet Liam’s fans who, since his death, have held a vigil outside the hotel. In the street, light from dozens of candles fell on to a huge collection of flowers that lined the pavement.
Image:
Anadolu via Getty Images)Father-of-three Geoff spent 10 minutes reading the tributes. Some were simple – hand-written notes or pictures of the One Direction star – while others were bigger displays of affection.
But each symbolised the impact the star had had on his followers’ lives. Clearly moved by their words and gestures, Geoff told fans, many of whom were in tears: “Thank you. Thank you.”
Hopefully, amid the immense grief, he can find some comfort from seeing how much his son was loved and is missed.
English (US) ·