Travolta 'heartbroken' over son

John Travolta and Kelly Preston married in 1991

Hollywood actor John Travolta has said he and his wife are "heartbroken" over the death of their 16-year-old son.

Jett Travolta was found unconscious in the family's home in the Bahamas.

"We are heartbroken that our time with him was so brief," said the Grease star. "We will cherish the time we had with him for the rest of our lives."

A post-mortem examination confirmed that Jett was killed by a seizure, an official at the funeral home being used by the Travoltas told AP.

Jett, who had a history of seizures, was on holiday with his father, his mother Kelly Preston and his sister Ella Bleu when he died.

The couple have said previously that Jett first became ill at the age of two and was later diagnosed with Kawasaki disease, which causes inflammation of the blood vessels in young children.

It is a beautiful reminder of the inherent goodness in the human spirit that gives us hope for a brighter future John Travolta on the support his family have received from fans

"Jett was the most wonderful son that two parents could ever ask for and lit up the lives of everyone he encountered," Travolta said in a statement placed on his website.

"We have received many messages of condolence from around the world and we want to thank everyone for their prayers and support.

"It has meant so much to us.

"It is a beautiful reminder of the inherent goodness in the human spirit that gives us hope for a brighter future."

Mr McDermott rebutted the "impression" given by police that Jett had been left on his own in the holiday home.

In fact the teenager was "spectacularly supervised" while on holiday because of his medical history, the lawyer told the Associated Press.

"The police left the impression that the boy was unsupervised. No. There were two nannies with him for the entire evening.

"They [the police] made it seem like he was sent to the condo and nobody checked in on him until the next morning."

Family and friends have been comforting the Travoltas, who remain in the Bahamas.