Jay Slater: the friend of the Briton who disappeared in Masca Tenerife fears being in serious danger

Lina Portman2 weeks ago

0 5 minutes read

Image source, Reuters/Borja Suárez

A friend of missing Briton Jay Slater told the BBC she feared he was in “grave danger” in rugged terrain in Tenerife without sunscreen, water or hiking equipment.

The 19-year-old, from Lancashire, traveled to the island for a music festival at Playa de las Americas, but had moved to the Teno Rural National Park area in the early hours of Monday and did not has not given any news since.

The search, which includes drones and dogs, was refocused in the north, around the village of Masca, after police “discarded” information that had led them south.

Mr Slater's friend Lucy Law told the BBC: “If you look around you there is mountain after mountain after mountain, it all looks the same.”

Author, Nick Garnett in Tenerife and Jonny Humphries
Role, BBC News
June 20, 2024

Video caption, BBC visits mountainous area where Jay Slater disappeared

She had been called by Mr Slater shortly before 09:00 BST on Monday, telling her he was lost, thirsty and had 1% battery on his phone.

“The weather is not ideal, it’s very cloudy, it’s starting to rain,” she said.

“This morning it was 34 degrees, so it alternates between very, very hot and really, very cold.”

She added: “He’s wearing shorts and a t-shirt, he doesn’t have sunscreen, he doesn’t have water, he doesn’t have a coat.

“He's not prepared for any of the weather conditions here. It's not safe.

“He’s never been here before, it would be so easy for him to get lost.”

Ms Law asked British police to help with the investigation, so “we can bring him home to his family”.

“That’s all we want, all we need,” she said.

Lancashire Police said officers were “supporting the family” and remaining in contact with the Tenerife consulate.

Legend, Jay Slater has not been heard from since 09:00 BST Monday

The Guardia Civil, the island's police force, told the BBC on Wednesday that the search had temporarily moved to the Los Cristianos region in the south due to a potential lead.

But searches have resumed in the rural region of Teno, in the northwest of the island, where they continue, the press release said.

The operation brings together police officers, mountain rescue teams, firefighters and volunteers.

The Guardia Civil said the helicopter launch was delayed due to weather conditions on the island.

In a report from the scene, the BBC's Nick Garnett described Teno Rural as a “remote and wild national park”, with cold nights and strong winds.

“Deep ravines and huge, intimidating mountains make the national park a difficult place for Spanish search teams to navigate, but a mountain rescuer told me it was not the first time they had been called to the region,” he said.

“At night, the countryside becomes a maze, dark and disorienting.”

He said search and rescue teams were focusing on a particular valley, near the top of a mountain pass, and a helicopter had been seen for the first time this afternoon.

Video caption, Tenerife: friend of missing teenager asks for helicopters to find them

Mr Slater's mother, Debbie Duncan, told the BBC that her son was on his first foreign holiday with friends.

She flew to the island and joined the search and said: “I didn't sleep at all, it's like it's not real.”

Apprentice mason Mr Slater, from Oswaldtwistle, had attended three days of the NRG music festival at Playa de las Americas in the south of the island.

He left with two men he met there and ended up at a house about 40 minutes' drive away in a rural area.

Ms Law said he told her he had missed a bus and was instead trying to walk 10 hours back to the accommodation, but the call then ended.

When the Guardia Civil spokeswoman was asked if police had spoken to the two men Mr Slater left the festival with, she replied: “It's part of the investigation, I can't tell you say more.”

Mr Slater's last known location was the site of intense searches.

The area is full of vegetation and small winding roads.

Legend, Police, mountain rescue, firefighters and volunteers are participating in the search.

A statement from the Santiago del Teide Volunteer Fire Department describes how they participated in the search efforts.

“We were activated to continue the search for the young man by moving four vehicles with 16 firefighters, as well as the local police, the Guia de Isora firefighters, the mountain civil guard, the civil guard dog unit of the Guardia Civilian, family and friends of a young man.”

A Facebook group created by Mr. Slater's friends and family to help coordinate search efforts has attracted more than 350,000 members.

Ms Law posted in the group: “We need as many people as possible to look for him please.

“We'll be back up there first thing, but a search party will be needed to search everywhere because the area is very big.

“If you can help, please do, we need to get him home.”

Image source, Bomberos Volunteers of Santiago del Teide

Legend, The area is described as sparse and barren

British journalist Chris Elkington, editor of the Canarian Weekly, told the BBC that the terrain at Mr Slater's last known location was “harsh”.

He said: “It’s a rural park where there are lots of hiking trails, it’s very mountainous, quite sparse, quite arid.

“Quite desert in many ways, with very deep ravines and valleys.

“It’s certainly a place you wouldn’t want to be in normal conditions without proper footwear, and especially without water.”

What we know so far

Sunday June 16 – Jay Slater and friends attend the final day of the NRG music festival at Papagayo nightclub in tourist hotspot Playa de las Americas.

Monday June 17 – Between 03:00 and 06:00 BST, Mr Slater got into a car with two men he had met on holiday and left Playa de las Americas.

07:30 – Mr Slater posts a photo on his Snapchat account showing him at the gate of a property, tagged with the location Parque Rural de Teno.

Between 8.30am and 9.00am – Mr Slater calls his friend and tells him he missed a bus back south and was trying to walk the 10 hour journey.

The call is cut off and his phone's last location shows a path in the mountainous Rural Teno National Park, popular with hikers.

Tuesday June 18 – Despite his friends searching the area, no sign of Mr. Slater appears and he does not return to his accommodation

Local police and mountain rescue teams begin a search and his mother and brother board a flight to Tenerife.

Wednesday June 19 – The Spanish Guardia Civil continues the search using drones, dogs and a helicopter but no trace is found

The search was briefly moved to the Los Cristianos area in the south of the island due to a potential sighting, but police quickly “discounted” this and moved the search to the original area.