Travolta 'fought to bring his boy back'

John Travolta said yesterday that he and his wife, Kelly Preston, were heartbroken at the loss of their chronically ill son, who collapsed and died while on holiday in the Bahamas.

In their first public statement about the death of Jett, 16, the couple spoke of their "most wonderful son" and thanked those who had sent goodwill messages.

Their lawyer, Michael McDermott, said there was a "flicker of life" when Jett was found and that Travolta and a nanny tried to save the boy's life. The Travoltas wrote on their website: "Jett was the most wonderful son that two parents could ever ask for and lit up the lives of everyone he encountered. We have received many messages of condolence from around the world. It has meant so much to us."

Mr McDermott said Jett was not dead when he was found. "John tried everything to bring his boy back," he said. "There was a flicker of life and he exhaustively did all he could before paramedics arrived and continued the CPR. There was some breathing."

Preston and Travolta have said Jett became sick when he was two and was diagnosed with Kawasaki syndrome, which leads to inflamed blood vessels in young children.