British teenager's family and friends 'exhausted beyond words' as hunt continues

Family and friends of a British teenager who went missing while on holiday in Tenerife are “exhausted beyond words” as the search for him enters its fifth day.

Helicopters, rescue dogs and drones were used in the hunt for Jay Slater, 19, who was last heard from when he called his friend Lucy Law on Monday morning.

Mr Slater, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared after trying to walk home after missing a bus.

She said: “Unfortunately there is no update for anyone.

“I'm having a hard time finding the words right now, but all I can say is that we're still searching and everyone is doing everything they can.

“We are exhausted beyond words – I just can’t say more, I wish I could.

“I wish it would end now, this living nightmare.

“Research continues and we remain positive.

Search and rescue personnel joined officers from the island's Guardia Civil on Friday near the village of Masca, where they appeared to be focusing on a specific area of ​​overgrown terrain.

Some officers used binoculars to look at the scenery before heading down the hill.

Search teams paid particular attention to a river called Barranco Madre del Agua, at the bottom of a ravine, where staff armed with sticks carefully searched for fallen dead palm trees.

A helicopter flew over the Teno rural park in the south of the Spanish island on Thursday as search teams explored different trails in the area.

Footage released by the Guardia Civil on Thursday showed the views from the helicopter as it traveled up the hillside.

The video, posted on the force's X account, showed officers searching bushes and overgrown land with dogs.

The search area was quiet Friday, with only a handful of police cars parked in Teno Rural Park.

Ms Law, who attended the NRG music festival with Mr Slater, said he called her around 8.30am on Monday and told her he was “lost in the mountains, he wasn't aware of his environment, he desperately needed a drink and his phone was at 1%.”

Mr Slater's mother, Debbie Duncan, who flew to Tenerife on Tuesday, said the search for her son was “a living nightmare”.

Ms Duncan told ITV News: “He's the life and soul, he's a beautiful boy.”

Mr Slater was last seen wearing a white T-shirt with shorts, trainers and a black bag.

A fundraiser organized by Ms Law to 'bring Jay Slater home' has since received more than £23,500 in donations.

A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British man missing in Spain and are in contact with the local authorities. »