Jay Slater’s father, Warren Slater, delivered the heartbreaking news that few other British people are taking part in today’s search for missing tourist Jay Slater.
The Guardia Civil’s head of mountain rescue operations today announced that the ground search for Slater has been completed following an extensive helicopter search of the vast valley at the centre of the investigation.
Two police helicopters spent more than three hours searching the main search areas, where emergency services, rescue teams and volunteers are focusing their efforts. A new search operation was launched today after the Guardia Civil was called in to intensify the search for the missing 19-year-old.
The Guardia Civil has today (29 June) called for all rescue personnel, including mountain rescue teams and firefighters, to assist in the search effort. The search is now in its 13th day, with Spanish police calling on all volunteers with mountaineering experience to come forward and offer to help.
Only a handful of volunteers had joined the effort this morning. Around 30 members of the government’s emergency services braved dangerous conditions to search for the 19-year-old from Lancashire. As reported by the Manchester Evening News, searchers had to battle their way through dense cacti and vegetation.
But the Guardia Civil sounded optimistic in its first press conference on the search operation. Emergency workers and volunteers held a meeting ahead of today’s effort.
Cipriano Martin, head of the mountain rescue team for the Guardia Civil, denied any link to the ongoing investigation into two Britons who had stayed with Jay Slater in an Airbnb in the countryside shortly before his disappearance.
When asked if Jay’s family would be involved in today’s search, Cipriano Martin, head of the Guardia Civil Graeme mountain rescue team, said: “They have already spoken to the men and it was not connected to the incident.” He explained: “They have been involved all week because we have seen them and they have seen us in some places. They have actively participated.” Commenting on today’s progress, he said: “We will see if there is more news this afternoon or evening.”
At the search scene this afternoon, an emotional Warren frustration that online trolls are overpowering the search for his youngest son, who was upset. Warren seemed disappointed and admitted: “It’s a bit of a shame there aren’t any English people here apart from Paul (Arnott), but to them he’s just an English boy who came here and got drunk.
People who come here know how dangerous this is. And what upsets me is the trolls who attack us because we don’t search.” This is not a local park. This is a big mountain and the terrain is dangerous. Put yourself in our shoes. Would you go out in these conditions?
“It’s hard, it’s hard. We’ll leave it to the experts. I’m grateful to the people who came today, I want to thank them for their efforts.”
Warren added, “I still can’t believe it. It’s been so hard for us and I want people to think about us as parents and what we’re going through. All these trolls are attacking us and they don’t know how.” We feel, why not come here and take a look and see for yourself how dangerous it is
“I came here because I wanted to look around with Zach and thank them. Who’s here? I sacrificed my time. I didn’t expect it to last this long so I dropped his mom and brother off at the airport thinking he’d be back within a few days. I thought he’d gone out, had a few drinks and ended up dating a girl like we did when we were younger. He’s our youngest and I just want him to come home.”