A “heartbroken” John Travolta has spoken out for the first time since the death of his teenage son while on a family holiday in the Bahamas on Friday.

Jett Travolta, the 16-year-old son of the American star of Saturday Night Fever and Grease, and his actress wife Kelly Preston, died after hitting his head in the bath at the family’s holiday home on Grand Bahama. He was discovered by a nanny on Friday morning around 10am and his movie star father had desperately tried in vain to resuscitate him.

“We are heartbroken that our time with him was so brief. We will cherish the time we had with him for the rest of our lives,” Mr Travolta and Ms Preston, who also have an eight-year-old daughter Ella Bleu, said in a statement on Mr Travolta's 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 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.”

Jett Travolta, who was widely rumoured to suffer from autism, was diagnosed as a child with Kawasaki disease and had a history of seizures. The disease, which is also known as lymph node syndrome, is most prominent in young children and causes heart damage and inflamed blood vessels.

Ms Preston has blamed household cleaners and fertilizers for her son’s illness, and said that a detoxification program based on teachings from the Church of Scientology, which the couple belong to, had helped improve his health.

Mr Travolta, 54, was said to be devoted to his son, who received around the clock care by nurses and his movie star parents. In November Jett travelled to Paris with his father, who was filming From Paris With Love in the French capital, where the pair was photographed smiling happily.

Mr Travolta’s family lawyer Mike Ossi told People magazine that the devastated star had unsuccessfully tried to revive his son and was so distraught he had to be physically prised from Jett’s body.

"He didn't want anything to happen to that boy, and he kept on trying to revive him," Mr Ossi said. "He did mouth-to-mouth until they had to physically remove John to take Jett to the hospital."

"He never dreamed of this – their relationship was so close,” said Mr Ossi, who is in the Bahamas with the actor. "He always said 'I'm happy as long as my kids are happy.' He is heartbroken … To bury your son is the worst thing you can ever do."

Mike McDermott, Mr Travolta’s corporate counsel, said: "John did everything in his power to revive [his son]. John and Jett had a very strong relationship. Words cannot explain how close they were. This will take a lot of time. His life will never be the same again."

In 1994 the movie star described his love of fatherhood: "I can't imagine what life would be like without Jett," Mr Travolta told People magazine. "After he was born and cleaned up, I held him for hours while Kelly slept. When they came to take him away for various tests, I said, 'No, you can't see him today. You'll have to do it another day.' I went a little nutsy."

Mr McDermott said Mr Travolta is currently trying to finish funeral arrangements and hopes to fly his son's body home to Florida in the next couple of days.

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