Jay Slater’s mother has thanked a local walking group for continuing the search for the missing 19-year-old in Tenerife almost three weeks after he went missing.
The volunteers, led by Juan Garcia, were joined by members of the Mr. Slater family on Saturday focusing on an area of a canyon near where Mr. Slater’s phone was last located.
After searching Barranco Juan Lopez, which had already been searched by police helicopters and drones, Garcia said it was a “maze” and “like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
The area was covered in cacti and bushes, and the walker told Sky News: “He could be nearby, two meters away, and we wouldn’t see him.”
Another member of the group said they had planned maps and search routes to continue the operation to try and find Mr Slater over the next few days.
Tenerife police called off the search on June 30 after 12 days, but his mother, Debbie Duncan, said she and her family will remain on the island.
Her son was last seen on June 17, after leaving an Airbnb in the small mountain village of Masca to walk back to his accommodation – a journey that would have taken him 11 hours.
Duncan had previously updated a GoFundMe page set up to help find his son, which has already received more than £51,000 in donations.
“We were overwhelmed by the kindness and support we received and would like to thank the local walking group for all their help in planning routes to find our Jay,” she said.
She continued: “We were contacted by a wonderful group of local residents who offered to continue the search.
“Although they do not wish to accept financial assistance in their search, we will support them with supplies and are very grateful for their willingness to help.
“We also continue to be contacted by experienced groups offering to support our search. We are busy talking to them about what they can do to help.
“But for us to be able to enlist their help, they need authorization from the Spanish authorities.”
One of the areas most recently searched by Mr Slater’s family, who refuse to give up hope
A missing persons sign for Jay Slater in San Tiago del Teide. Photo: Adele-Momoko Fraser
It comes after Slater’s uncle, Glen Duncan, who was on the search party along with Slater’s father, Warren Slater, and his older brother, Zak, said his nephew’s disappearance was “just torture” for the family, but they were not giving up hope. .
The 41-year-old described the “treacherous” conditions upon returning from the search in scorching heat and said “it’s easy to get lost” but believes if Slater had fallen he would have been found by now.
He believes there may have been third-party involvement in the disappearance of Slater, who he described as a “typical big lad with a huge circle of friends and who was looking forward to coming here”.
He also said the family is frustrated with the lack of communication from police on the island, adding: “It’s getting to the point where you’re angry.”
TikTok star gives up search for Jay Slater
The police hunt in the northern village of Masca, close to Slater’s last known location, encompassed steep rocky terrain, ravines and trails.
Helicopters, drones and search dogs were sent to find the apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, but to no avail.
After halting the operation, the Guardia Civil told Sky News that his family may bring in their own search and rescue teams to look for the missing teenager.
The Guardia Civil said the investigation is still ongoing but will not disclose the lines of inquiry.
See more information:
Jay Slater’s family hits back at TikToker who withdrew from research
Jay Slater’s mother reveals how the family will use donations
Jay Slater’s friend Lucy Law posted a photo of Jay Slater. Photo: Instagram
Jay Slater’s last known moves
Slater traveled to Tenerife with friends on June 13 to attend a music festival at Papagayo nightclub in the southern resort of Playa de las Americas on June 16.
After leaving the event, he got into a car the next morning and traveled to a small Airbnb in Masca with two men, who police said were “not relevant” to the case.
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At 8.30am on June 17, he called his friend Lucy Law, saying he had missed the bus and tried to walk back to his accommodation.
He said he “cut off the leg” of a cactus, “had no idea where he was,” was “lost in the mountains” and that his phone battery was at “1%,” Law said.
Shortly afterwards, his battery died and he was reported missing at 9:04 am.
Its last known location was in the Teno Rural Park, near Masca.
The owner of a local cafe previously told Sky News that Slater tried to catch a bus back to Los Cristianos, where he was staying.
Ofelia Medina Hernandez said she spoke to the teenager at 8 a.m. the day he disappeared, telling him the bus would arrive at 10 a.m. — but he started walking.
She said she later passed him “walking fast.”
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
