Jay Slater’s mother said the family is working with GoFundMe to withdraw some of the £36,000 that has been raised since the teenager’s disappearance.
Debbie Duncan, posting on the “Get Jay Slater home” page, which was created on the crowdfunding platform, said the money would be used to “support the mountain rescue teams who are tirelessly searching for Jay.”
She also said the money will be used to help cover accommodation and food costs while the family are in Tenerife helping to search for the 19-year-old.
Duncan, who is on the Spanish island with Slater’s father and brother, added that “some of these funds” will be used to transport other family members “so we can support each other during these dark times.”
The fundraiser set up to support Mr Slater’s family has raised more than £36,400 as of this morning.
Duncan posted his updates on the GoFundMe page as the search for his son entered its 11th day.
She wrote: “It’s hard to understand what’s happening right now, but we’re not giving up hope on finding Jay and coming home together.
“We are currently working with GoFundMe to withdraw some of the funds, which are securely held.
“I wanted to share that these funds will be used to support the mountain rescue teams who are tirelessly searching for Jay.
“Furthermore, as our stay in Tenerife needs to be extended, we will also use the funds to cover accommodation and food expenses.
“I am surrounded by wonderful people who are by my side but far from their loved ones, so we will also use some of these funds to take them to Tenerife so we can support each other during these dark times.”
She also thanked those who sent “kind messages” and donations, adding: “This means a lot to us.”
See more information:
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Duncan and his son’s friends have been at the center of conspiracy theories on social media since the teenager’s disappearance.
The construction company that employs Slater shared a post on Facebook earlier today asking people to stop sending “cruel” emails and to stop posting theories online.
PH Build Group wrote: “These people are trying to ruin people’s lives and businesses (while) sitting behind a screen looking for attention.
“Everyone can have their own theories and feelings, but posting them publicly knowing you’re going to hurt people is just cruel.
“Jay’s family shouldn’t have to endure this.”
Jay Slater’s Dad Says ‘I Just Want Him Back’
Slater, an apprentice bricklayer, was on holiday with friends in the south of Tenerife before traveling to the north-west mountain village of Masca with two people he met at the NRG music festival on Sunday 16 June.
The teenager, from Oswaldtwistle, near Blackburn in Lancashire, told a friend over the phone at 8.30am the following morning that he was returning to his holiday accommodation after missing a bus – a journey that would have taken 11 hours on foot.
He also said he was lost, needed water and only had a 1% charge on his cell phone.
The last person to see Mr Slater was Masca resident Ofelia Medina Hernandez, who spoke to the teenager on Monday 17 June.
Hernandez said he was told the bus would arrive at 10 a.m. as he apparently hoped to return to his accommodation.
However, he started walking – and she said she later passed him while he was “walking fast”.
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
