The family of Deal backpacker Christian Sloan are still waiting for his inquest to he held a year after his death.

Christian, 24, of Walmer Way, was one of three British people who died in an incident at the Dantala waterfall in the Lam Dong province of Vietnam on February 26 last year.

In a statement his parents, Eugene and Lesley Sloan, said British police were continuing to make progress with their son’s case, but it could take up to three years to conclude their findings.

They said: “All we can really say at the moment is that the inquest on what happened to Christian and his two companions, Izzy and Beth, by South Yorkshire Police continues to make steady progress, with extra officers recently being assigned to the case.

“However, due to the closed and secretive environment that prevails in Vietnam, the coroner has intimated it could take up to three years to conclude the findings.”

The investigation is being carried out by South Yorkshire police as Izzy and Beth came from the region.

The former Walmer Science College pupil was travelling in South-East Asia with friend James McGlashan.

The pair were nearly two months into their trip when it was tragically cut short.

Christian was described by his parents as “a hard-working, very popular Deal lad who was well known around the town as ‘the legend’ for his lovely smile, keeping fit and lust-for-life attitude”.

He had many years experience with the Royal Navy, joining properly in 2008 as a boy sailor, passing out from the Navy’s Sultan training base as a marine engineer mechanic.

After the Navy he worked shore-side for DFDS Seaways at Dover’s Eastern Docks as a shift coordinator.

He had taken on extra shifts there in order to pay for his travels. His funeral at Canterbury Cathedral was attended by about 500 people.

Mr and Mrs Sloan added: “On a positive note, the media campaign set up by Christian’s sister, Katie-Leigh, to get to the truth of what really happened that day harvested a deluge of information from around the world from people at the Dalat falls at the time.

"All this information is in the hands of the police and tells a completely different story to what was put out by the national press and media on the day.

“We have also been successful in making contact with the Canadian nurse who bravely abseiled down into the gorge and tried in vain to help him.

“This gave us some comfort, knowing that she had stayed and held him until rescuers arrived.

“It has not been an easy year but we have continued to smile outwardly and go about our daily work and lives as normal but with a deep sadness within our hearts.

“We have been overwhelmed by the many kind thoughts and support from not only local people but from all around the world.”

The circumstances surrounding the incident are still being determined, and the nature of the waterfall activity has still not been confirmed.