From the link above:
"In the week after he went missing,
the police told us:
‘We believe Jack’s fallen into the water,
he’s drowned,
and there’s a chance you’ll never see him again'.
'They told us that in a phone call',
says Catherine."
IMO
It is the most probable scenario.
It was also my opinion from the start.
I would trust Police,
although this truth is unbearable for any family member.
Hope dies last after all.
These messages the family is getting from strangers concerning Jack
are déjà vu of Jay Slater's case IMO.
Some people get sick enjoyment of torturing poor parents with false hopes.
It has been nearly a year since Jack's disappearance
JMO