Authorities in Tenerife are today preparing a “massive search operation” for missing teenager Jay Slater, nearly two weeks after his disappearance.
Police have called on volunteer organisations such as firefighters and individual volunteers who are experts on rough terrain to help with “Busqueda Massiva”. But the operation has already deployed helicopters, drones and sniffer dogs to the mountainous areas of the Canary Islands.
It was discovered that a 19-year-old man from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, had left an NRG music event in Tenerife with two men in his car, spending the night at an Airbnb in the north-west Lancashire countryside. He disappeared from the island before leaving on the morning of Monday 17th June.
The teenager was last heard from by his girlfriend, Lucy May Law, who claims he called her on the morning of his disappearance, saying he was disoriented, needed water and that his phone only had one percent charge.
Jay’s mother Debbie Duncan said she was devastated and “beyond worry” she was convinced Jay had been abducted, while Jay’s father Warren Slater said the teenager’s disappearance “doesn’t make sense”. Investigators are now focusing on the location where Jay’s mobile phone last “beeped” as they return to the canyon to search for Jay.
British senior detective Mark Williams-Thomas, who was investigating Nicola Bree’s disappearance, has flown to Tenerife to help with the search free of charge and said the two people Jay met on Sunday, June 16, were together. More important information. Williams-Thomas said they had spoken to the police in Tenerife but were allowed to return to the UK.
On Wednesday, the TV detective explained: “But there are two important people we haven’t spoken to yet. ” “These are the two who took Jay back to their holiday home in the mountains. The pair have spoken to police and are now back in the UK,” he said. Questions that have arisen since the last contact with the teenager on June 17th
What is known so far about Jay Slater’s disappearance
Monday 17th June: Jay Slater missing in Tenerife
Jay Slater disappeared on the morning of Monday 17th June, while holidaying in Tenerife with friends Lucy and Brad, the trio attended the three-day NRG music festival which finished on Sunday, Lucy and Brad returned to their holiday accommodation, while Jay was with two men he had befriended that night.
The 19-year-old then returned to an Airbnb in a remote part of Tenerife with the men. Jay’s girlfriend, Lucy May Law, said Jay called her the morning he disappeared and said he was disoriented, needed water and his phone had only one percent battery.
Tuesday June 18: Family and friends fly to Tenerife as investigation is launched
Jay Slater was reported missing in the UK media on Tuesday after the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) confirmed the investigation.
The same day, Jay’s mother Debbie Duncan flew to Tenerife with his brother Zac. Debbie said she was “concerned” and convinced Jay had been kidnapped. She later revealed that a cynical Englishman with a “northern accent” had called her on a hidden number, claiming to have set her son up to be held captive because he owed her money.
Wednesday 19 June: Search location changed following “false leads”
Tenerife search and rescue teams have begun a search for alleged sightings of Jay from Teno Park, a rural area where he is believed to have been before his sudden disappearance. About the southern tourist city. They later returned to the mountains after the sighting proved to be a false lead.
Thursday 20th June: Footage of Jay at Tenerife rave party surfaces, GoFundMe launched
New footage of Jay at a rave party in Tenerife has emerged shortly before his disappearance. The clip shows Jay mingling with other partygoers in a packed nightclub as music blares in the background. The same day Jay’s best friend Lucy May launched a GoFundMe page called ‘Bring Jay Slater Home’, aiming to raise £30,000.
Friday 21st June: Jay seen walking away “alone and in a hurry” – Spanish police refuse UK police assistance
The Airbnb host at the property Jay was staying at before he disappeared said he saw Jay walking “alone and in a hurry” outside the remote village of Masca on the morning of his disappearance. Ophelia, the property’s owner, said: “It’s dangerous to walk here – you can easily get lost. The last time I saw him he was walking down the street. He was alone. He was walking normally but at a fast pace.”
Spanish police subsequently refused to help British officers in finding Jay. Lancashire Police confirmed that Tenerife’s private security service had rejected an offer of military help, while close friends admitted they “cannot share any updates” after helicopters, drones and sniffer dogs were deployed.
Saturday 22nd June: Find Jay Slater fundraiser hits £30,000
A GoFundMe page set up last weekend to raise money for Jay Slater’s family surpassed its £30,000 target just three days after it was launched. Jay’s mother Debbie revealed on Monday that the money had been used to cover expenses for Jay’s friends and family, including travel and accommodation to Tenerife.
Sunday June 23: Jay Slater’s dad arrives in Tenerife
Jay’s father, Warren Slater, arrived in Tenerife on Sunday and said his son’s disappearance “makes no sense”. Warren, along with his other son, Zach, and family friend Rachel Hargreaves, put up missing persons posters around the village of Santiago del Teide and said police were investigating “every lead”.
British senior detective Mark Williams-Thomas, who was investigating Nicola Bree’s disappearance, said he had offered to join Spanish police in Tenerife at short notice and would have answers about Jay Slater “within three days”.
Monday 24 June: Search location changed for the fourth time, UK police chief offers to help, and possible surveillance footage of Jay surfaces
A full week after Jay was reported missing, rescue teams are back in the valley. A final “beep” sounded. So far, investigators have focused on three main areas: the valley about 100 meters below the Airbnb where the suspect was staying, the mountains between Masca and San Jose, and Masca and Las Porteras.
Jay’s family also shared new CCTV footage that shows a possible sighting of Jay in Tenerife. The grainy image was allegedly taken in Santiago del Teide at around 6pm on Monday night, 10 hours after he was last confirmed to have been seen in the village of Masca.
Investigators in Tenerife said they were “fully focused” on the search for Jay and would not be distracted by criticism from his friends. Guardia city officials were adamant that the attack would not hinder their “priority” of continuing to search for the missing 19-year-old.
Tuesday 25 June: Former Nicola Bury detective Mark Williams-Thomas lands in Tenerife and vows to “track down” two key players
Former British police officer Mark Williams-Thomas has arrived in Tenerife to assist the family. Experienced investigators who have investigated many high-profile missing persons cases, including that of Nicolas Bury,
have located the body of the 19-year-old bricklayer apprentice on the island where he was last seen. He offered to help Jay’s mother, Debbie Duncan, 55, on Sunday and is now working for her pro bono to find out what happened to her son.
Before the family accepted his help, Williams-Thomas said he believed he would get answers from relatives within just three days. He also vowed to “track down” two Britons who are said to have been staying with Jay at the villa the night before he disappeared.
Tuesday, June 25: More police arrive from Madrid to help with search
Detectives leading the search in Tenerife have called for reinforcements from Madrid. Officers from the Guardia Civil canine unit were already on the island with sniffer dogs, but it was announced that more specialist dogs and their handlers had been flown in from the Spanish capital to help with the search effort.
“The Civil Guard continues its search for a young British man who went missing near the Masca district of the northern city of Buenavista,” a Spanish army spokesman told reporters. Different units will be involved in the operation.
In addition, several dog trainers from Madrid and their experienced dogs have joined today’s search. These dogs are specially trained to search for people in large areas. “But David Larkin said he did not need the authorities’ help. “I didn’t want to seem ungrateful,” he said, “I thanked them for their concern, but I was OK.”
Wednesday 26th June: Locals claim Jay Slater ‘spotted watching Euros in Tenerife’
Jay has reportedly been spotted possibly watching a Euros match in Tenerife. Several locals in the city of Santiago del Teide said they believe they saw the boy a few days after he disappeared.
Mayor Emilio José Navarro said some locals who reported sightings of Jay have already been interviewed by police, including some who believe they may have seen Jay watching a European Championship match on the beach.
Wednesday 26th June: Detective Mark Williams-Thomas holds press conference – but says Spanish police have advised the family not to speak to the media
At the press conference Detective Williams-Thomas acknowledged that the Spanish authorities had advised Jay’s relatives not to speak to the media. On their behalf he thanked the journalists and stressed the importance of continued coverage.
The 54-year-old professional athlete said he wanted to speak to two “key people” who may have been the last to see the boy. The ex-police officer added, “We need to talk to these people because, aside from the owner of the Holiday Apartments, they were the last people to see Jay.”
“I think they have important information that could tell us what happened to Jay. They were definitely at a bar in the Strip area for two days, hanging out with Jay and some of Jay’s friends who were there.
“They say they spent a lot of time at the bar there, drinking Hennessy, which was their favorite drink. I know the nickname of one of these people. I have a photo of this person.”
Thursday 27th June: Jay Slater’s mother confirms withdrawal of GoFundMe funds in important update
The mother of missing teenager Jay Slater says funds have been withdrawn from her son’s GoFundMe page Donations have reached more than £36,000
In a new important update shared with fundraisers, Debbie Duncan said: “Hello everyone, it’s Debbie again. Firstly I’d like to thank everyone for the support, the lovely messages and well wishes. It’s hard to comprehend what’s going on but we haven’t given up hope that we will find Jay and bring him home together.
“We are currently working with GoFundMe to withdraw some of the funds which will be kept safe. We wanted to share that these funds will be used to support the mountain rescue teams who are tirelessly searching for Jay.”
Thursday 27th June: Fears Jay Slater “would not have survived if he had been lost in the mountains”
A missing man has been lost in Tenerife, in the mountains where it has been reported that the chances of him being found alive are “low”.
This comes as Spanish police have no intention of calling off the massive search for the 19-year-old bricklayer apprentice. On the 11th day of the search, a police spokesman said: “Private security continues to search for the missing young Briton and are inspecting all the paths, tracks and ravines in the village of Masca,
, Buenavista del Norte municipality.” Police also released footage on Wednesday, showing officers on foot through the rugged and remote area while other officers carried out an aerial inspection using a Guardia Civil helicopter. It is feared Jay may have become lost in the remote mountains.
Friday 28th June: Jay Slater’s best friend says final phone call with teenager was ‘abandoned’ by mystery caller
Jay Slater’s best friend talks about his last conversation with the missing teenager before the phone went dead. Crime journalist Ira Traquair spoke to one of the last people to hear from the holidaymaker before his disappearance, one of his close friends, Brad Hargreaves.
On Friday’s episode of This Morning, Brad detailed the final promise Jay made to him before the conversation ended. Sadly, Brad was one of the last people to speak to Jay before he disappeared.
What we don’t know about Jay Slater’s disappearance
Where is Jay Slater?
The search for Jay Slater is entering its second week. Tenerife police said they are doing everything they can to find him, with the help of rescue teams. Jay’s last known location was found to be in the Del Teno countryside, a mountainous area in the west of the island.
His girlfriend Lucy said Jay had made friends with two Brits and “ended up in the middle of nowhere” after returning to their Airbnb. She recounted how Jay “went to the house of a friend he’d met on holiday. One of the people he met had rented a car here, so he gave them a lift to his apartment and Jay headed there, not knowing how far it was.
She added, “Jay obviously thought he’d come back from there.”
What was Jay’s state of mind?
After arriving in Tenerife, Jay’s mother Debbie provided further disturbing details about her son’s possible failure to look after himself on the night he disappeared. Debbie expressed concern that her son may have “lost his mind”, adding that Jay was “not a big drinker” but had consumed spirits on the final night of a three-day rave event in Tenerife. She said she had warned Jay to be careful before he set off on his first trip abroad with friends, but was worried he might not be able to look after himself.
Was there a third party involved in Jay Slater’s disappearance?
Police are yet to confirm any third party involvement in Jay’s disappearance, but the 19-year-old had met up with two men, believed to be British, during the NRG music festival. He then decided to stay at their Airbnb in a remote part of Tenerife while his friends returned to their usual accommodation. The pair were reportedly flown back to the UK after a brief questioning by Tenerife police.
Jay’s friend Lucy May managed to track down their Airbnb before they left. She used photo clues from Jay’s Snapchat to uncover his whereabouts. She said: “They seemed surprised that I had found them and asked where Jay was.
“They said he had gone out to look for cigarettes, then came back and said he was leaving to catch a bus back to town. They seemed shocked that I had found them, and I know the police spoke to them, but then I found out they had left the country.
Why did Jay Slater choose to make the 11-hour walk instead of taking the two-hour bus back to the city?
Jay reportedly decided he didn’t want to wait two hours for a bus back to the city. Witness Ophelia Medina Hernandez said she saw the teenage boy standing at a bus stop outside the village of Masca around 8 a.m. The Airbnb host said he asked about a bus back to Los Cristianos.
She explained: “Then I went home a little, up the mountain to Buenavista del Norte, but this time I saw him leaving the village, walking down the road. Within ten or fifteen minutes of me speaking to him he was about a kilometre away from the house. I passed him in my car, and that was the last I saw of him.”
There was a main road nearby, so the question arose as to why Jay wandered into the wilderness instead. His friend Lucy May said: “What I don’t understand is if he had actually fallen, why didn’t anyone see him? It was a busy time of day, the place was full of hikers and holidaymakers and he could have called them for help or stopped somewhere but nobody saw him.”
Was Jay Slater kidnapped?
Jay’s devastated mother Debbie said she was convinced her son had been kidnapped and held against his will. His girlfriend Lucy May also believes Jay is “being held against his will”. She explained that Jay is “not stupid” and tried to flag down cars to find his way back to his place. As time passes and he disappears from sight, we become convinced that someone has kidnapped him and is holding him against his will.