Final picture of teen hours before he vanished emerges - updates (2024)

Jay Slater search parties appear smaller than previous days

The search parties today seemed noticeably smaller compared to previous days – with only a handful of emergency workers visible in the village of Masca and the surrounding areas, the PA news agency reports.

Firefighters appeared to conduct the majority of the searches on the sixth day of the hunt for British teenager Jay Slater as they wore helmets to tackle dangerous hillside terrain in Tenerife.

Jay Slater did not know where he was, Sky News reports

Jay Slater had "cut his leg on a cactus" and did not know where he was, Sky News has reported.

Lucy Law told the channel Jay Slater is "not a stupid boy" and would have flagged down any passing car or spoken to passers by. She said he rang her to say he "didn't know where he was", that he needed a drink and had "cut his leg on a cactus".

Jay Slater new picture captures missing Brit at packed Tenerife music rave hours before vanishing

This new picture shows Jay Slater just hours before he vanished in Tenerife on Monday.

The image shows the 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer at a rave on Sunday evening, which he left with two new friends before disappearing the next day. Jay, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, flew out to the holiday island with two friends for the NRG festival.

But he left the event with two mystery people he met there, and went to an Airbnb in a mountainous nature reserve. After waking, it is believed he left alone on Monday and headed into the treacherous terrain.

Jay Slater new picture captures missing Brit at packed Tenerife music rave hours before vanishing

Jay Slater search centres on a deep ravine and river

A deep ravine and a river below has been one of the focuses of a desperate search for Brit teenager Jay Slater.

Spanish rescue teams have gathered again in Tenerife for the sixth day of the hunt in mountainous conditions which are known to be treacherous not just for the rocky terrain but the extreme weather conditions.

Officers reconvened at Rural de Teno Park in the north west of the island following another day of no major breakthroughs. Search teams have been paying close attention to a river called Barranco Madre del Agua at the bottom of a 2,000 feet ravine, where personnel with sticks carefully searched through fallen dead trees on Friday.

Searches being carried out in three different areas

A member of the Civil Guard team revealed they are currently carrying out searches in three different areas - the Masca Gorge, La Vica, and Las Portelas, as well as the surrounding Masca area.

Police team with dogs swarm isolated farm and search buildings

Investigators have been seen removing rubbish from an area as they look for clues near to where Jay Slater stayed the night before he disappeared in Tenerife.

Police were joined by rescue dogs and firefighters as they continued the search for the 19-year-old from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, who has not been heard from since last Monday.

The hunt to try and locate Jay has centred around the rugged Rural de Teno Park in the north west of the island which is known to be treacherous not just for the rocky terrain but the extreme weather conditions.

Helicopters, rescue dogs and drones have all been used to try and locate Jay who disappeared following an attempt to walk back to his accommodation in the south of Tenerife after missing a bus.

Police team with dogs swarm isolated farm and search buildings

Police operation centres on Masca, Civil Guard says

The latest statement from the Civil Guard, who has been approached by the Manchester Evening News for an update, reads: “There is a research on going and the police operation is focused on the area of Masca (Tenerife).

"We cannot confirm any more information."

None of Jay Slater's friends or family have been spotted at base

None of Jay's friends or family have been spotted at base, Manchester Evening News reports.

This is despite significant police activity in the area, including search teams with sniffer dogs.

Civil Guard officers are also in attendance. Yesterday and today, none of Jay’s friends or family have been seen at the search base @MENnewsdesk pic.twitter.com/SYVDULR3JZ

— James Holt - M.E.N (@jameshjourno) June 22, 2024

Investigators pore through rubbish bags for clues on missing Jay Slater

Investigators have been seen removing rubbish from an area as they look for clues near to where Jay Slater stayed the night before he disappeared in Tenerife.

Police were joined by rescue dogs and firefighters as they continued the search for the 19-year-old from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, who has not been heard from since last Monday.

The hunt to try and locate Jay has centred around the rugged Rural de Teno Park in the north west of the island which is known to be treacherous not just for the rocky terrain but the extreme weather conditions.

He was last seen in the village of Masca where he had stayed the night in an Airbnb property he had been driven to after attending an NRG music festival. The owner of the property Ofelia Medina Hernandez said she saw Jay walk up the road past her property but did not see him again after that – describing the situation as “worrying”.

Officers have been seen taking away rubbish as they combed an area by a farm near to where Jay was staying. Dogs were used to search the farm buildings on Friday while land was also examined by the Airbnb property were Jay had been,

Close attention was also paid to a river called Barranco Madre del Agua at the bottom of a ravine, where personnel with sticks carefully searched through fallen dead palm trees.

Donations for bid to 'get Jay Slater home' surpasses £26,500

A GoFundMe page set up for Jay Slater’s family as the search continues for him in Tenerife has now reached £26,630.

Lucy Law, who was on holiday with Jay when the 19-year-old disappeared, has appealed to the public to help the family as the search goes on. Jay’s mum Debbie Duncan flew out to Tenerife last Tuesday and said the hunt for him was “an absolute living nightmare”

Rachel Louise Harg, who is the administrator of an official Facebook page set up to help find Jay, said that people had been “hacking” the social media accounts of Jay’s family and were “sick in the head”. She pointed out on the Facebook page that the money from the fundraising was going to the bank account of Jay’s mum and was being used for accommodation and food.

Meanwhile, Lancashire Police said it has offered to support the search for Jay. A statement released on Friday night said: “First and foremost, our thoughts are with Jay’s family at this time. They must be going through the most distressing ordeal not knowing what has happened to their loved one. We have specialist officers who are continuing to support Jay’s family.

“Whilst this case falls outside the jurisdiction of UK policing, we have made an offer of support to the Guardia Civil to see if they need any additional resources. They have confirmed that at this time they are satisfied that they have the resources they need, but that offer remains open and they will contact us should that position change.”

Jay Slater had ‘cut leg and had no idea where he was’ when he disappeared

Jay Slater told a friend he had “cut his leg” on a cactus and had “no idea where he was” in a frantic last phone call.

The 19-year-old, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, was last heard from on Monday morning when he called his friend, Lucy Law, after attempting to walk back to his accommodation after missing a bus.

The walk from Rural de Teno park, his last known location, to the south of the Spanish island, would take around 11 hours on foot. Lucy said Jay, who she attended NRG music festival with, called her at around 8.30am on Monday and told her he was “lost in the mountains, he wasn’t aware of his surroundings, he desperately needed a drink and his phone was on 1%”.

She told Sky News that he had “cut his leg on a cactus and had no idea where he was”. Lucy said Jay had gone to stay with people he met on Sunday night who were staying in an apartment that was “miles away from civilisation and in a very secluded location”. She added that he had left the apartment at 8am on Monday and walked for half an hour before “frantically ringing” her.

Mum reveals new sighting in search for Jay Slater

Missing Jay Slater's mum has said she will stay in Tenerife for "as long as it takes" and that a new sighting of her son is being investigated by police.

Debbie Duncan, 55, revealed that a person now says that they saw her son walking down a road last Monday evening.

"Someone has come forward to say they saw someone who they thought was Jay walking back down the road sat on a bench," she reportedly said. "He was with two men looking a bit worse for wear, and they were by a church, this guy has come forward and told the police about it and they are looking into it. We don't know if it was Jay for sure, but it's a start.

"They said it was about 6pm which is ten hours after he was seen by the lady in the village. But if it was him what was he doing there and who are these two men?"

The search party hunting for Jay, 19, has focused its efforts on a ravine near to where he was last heard from. Search and rescue personnel carefully combed through dead palm trees covering a river at the bottom of the hillside near to a property he had reportedly been driven to.

His mum Debbie, speaking to the Mail added: "All I know is that I am going to stay here for as long as it takes, I'm not going home unless it's with Jay. I'm not going anywhere until they find him."

She also said that she was not happy that Spanish cops had turned down an offer of help from Lancashire Police. "I had a screaming and shouting day when I had the meeting with the police," she said. "I know the Spanish police mean well, but the problem we are having is the language barrier, we just don't seem to be getting told. I'm sure they are doing their best.

"They told me they had used dogs and drones and then they said Lancashire police had offered their resources but they turned it down, but I think that would have really helped. I would feel happier if our people were over helping. It's just so difficult not knowing where he is, the area and the terrain is rough, but the police were saying that now there are too many people up there and it could interfere with their investigation."

Why didn't Jay Slater wait for a bus or make other travel arrangements?

Jay Slater is understood to having tried to where he was staying with friends in the south of Tenerife and it is unclear why he didn't wait for a bus or make other travel arrangements.

The 19-year-old was staying in Playa de las Americas but met up with people and stayed with them in the north west of the island. It appears as though it was when he tried to get back to his original accommodation on Monday that he disappeared.

He tried to walk back having missed a bus said a friend called Lucy having missed a bus and the owner of an Airbnb where he stayed confirmed that he had asked her for bus times.

It's currently not clear whether Jay had other transport facilities to get back to where he was staying in Playa de las Americas such as a taxi. There was another bus that would have come but he chose not to wait.

Shortly before vanishing, Jay had been messaging friends on social media Snapchat and seemed in a normal and stable state of mind. His phone died around 8.50am, with his last known location registered near a hiking trail, several hundred feet above the small village of Masca.

Treacherous river that has been a focus of search for Jay Slater

A deep ravine and a river below has been one of the focuses of a desperate search for Brit teenager Jay Slater.

Officers reconvened at Rural de Teno Park in the north west of the island following another day of no major breakthroughs. Search teams have been paying close attention to a river called Barranco Madre del Agua at the bottom of a 2,000 feet ravine, where personnel with sticks carefully searched through fallen dead trees on Friday.

Helicopters, rescue dogs and drones have all been used in an effort to find the 19-year-old, who was last heard from when he called his friend Lucy Law on Monday morning. Jay is from the Lancashire town of Oswaldtwistle, where specialist officers are continuing to support his family, the force said.

Jay disappeared following an attempt to walk back to his accommodation after missing a bus. Emergency workers are combing bushes, overgrown terrain, hillsides as well as the river but have so far failed to find the missing teenager.

All you need to know about 'badlands' at heart of missing teen search

Missing Brit Jay Slater is believed to have disappeared in the beautiful yet most dangerous area of Tenerife nicknamed ‘badlands’ due to the terrain.

The tiny hamlet of Masca clings to the rocky outcrops of northwestern Tenerife in the far-flung Teno Nature Reserve. It is one of the most remote parts of Tenerife, and in the past few years more rescues have been carried out here than anywhere else in the Canary Islands, according to the website of the Masca visitors centre.

Search teams paid close attention to a river called Barranco Madre del Agua at the bottom of a 2,000ft ravine, where personnel with sticks carefully searched through fallen dead palm trees. Jonathan Stones who moved to Tenerife when he was aged 13 reportedly said how the Teno Nature Reserve is treacherous and known as ‘bad land’ locally.

He told The Sun: “Where Jay was last located through his mobile phone is where he stands the least chance of survival. The desolate landscapes around the island’s holiday hotspots are referred to as ‘malpais’ by locals — a word that translates into English as ‘badland’.”

He told of rapidly changing temperatures where it can go from being cold to extremely hot by 11am. “With no shade in sight, no water to hand and a deep ravine, the sun becomes an even more fierce adversary,” Jonathan continued. “And the shadowy respite offered by the hilltops is short-lived. The sun moves around the mountain sides quickly and anyone sheltering behind a craggy outcrop is soon flushed from their hide in search of the next one. I hope desperately that it’s a riddle solved in time for Jay to be reunited safely with his family.”

Where is the search for Jay Slater being focused in Tenerife?

Jay Slater's last known location has been traced to Rural del Teno, a mountainous area in the west of Tenerife and that is where the search is being concentrated.

The closest town is Santiago del Teide. Jay had been staying on the south of the island in an apartment with friends and pal Lucy said he was attempting to make the 11-hour hike back on foot.

Lucy had told the Manchester Evening News: "He's gone on a night out, he's gone to a friend's house, someone that he has met on holiday. One of the people he has met has hired a car out of here, so he's driven them back to his apartment and Jay has gone there not realising how far away it is. He's ended up out in the middle of nowhere. Jay was obviously thinking he would be able to get home from there."

Police on the island have said they are doing everything they can to find the missing teenager, and are also working with the British Embassy.

Spanish rescue teams gather with dogs for sixth day of search for Jay Slater

Spanish search and rescue teams have gathered again in Tenerife for the sixth day of the hunt for Brit teenager Jay Slater.

Officers reconvened at Rural de Teno Park on the north west of the island on Saturday following another day of no major breakthroughs. Images show them gathered with dogs as they prepare to go into the mountainous terrain.

Lancashire Constabulary said it had made “an offer of support to the Guardia Civil to see if they need any additional resources” which was rejected by Spanish authorities.

On Friday the hunt for Jay saw search teams pay close attention to a river called Barranco Madre del Agua at the bottom of a ravine, where personnel with sticks carefully searched through fallen dead trees.

They later moved to other areas, focusing a lot of their resources in an area near Rural de Teno park. Footage released by the Guardia Civil on Thursday showed the views from a helicopter as it scoured the hillside. The video, posted to the force’s X, formerly Twitter, account, showed officers searching in bushes and overgrown terrain with dogs.

Car rental owner warns of 'cold and thin air' where Jay Slater went missing

A car rental owner and blogger has told of the treacherous conditions were 19-year-old Jay Slater went missing in Tenerife.

Andrew Knight, 29, who runs Sanasty Car Hire Tenerife, has provided vehicles to help in the search and gone himself to try and locate the Brit who has not been heard from since last Monday.

“You’re up there, it’s very thin air, you’ve got cloud around. It actually started to rain at one point, it was quite drizzly. Then 10 minutes later the sun was out and it went a little bit warmer, the weather is constantly changing,” he said. “It does go very cold at night, especially with the thin air and the wind chill. It would be pretty cold if you were up there without jumpers and jackets and things.”

Mr Knight said the community has banded together and he hopes that the teenager will be found. “I think the response has been very positive, and it will continue as well. It won’t just die away or stop, they will continue to share and keep going until there is some information or answers, or until he is found,” he said.

“I’m hoping he’s going to be found alive and well. I’m hoping he is hiding out somewhere or something like that, that is the most positive outcome and just hoping that they find him alive and well. That’s the main hope.”

Six key details we know so far after Jay Slater's disappearance

Jay Slater remains missing in Tenerife despite a huge search operation to locate the apprentice bricklayer and here are six key details we know so far.

The 19-year-old man was walking "alone and fast" on Monday morning, it is said, as he left an Airbnb for what is an 10-hour walk through mountainous and remote terrain to where friends were staying in the south of Tenerife.

What we know about Jay Slater's disappearance

• Jay Slater was declared missing in British media on Tuesday, after the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) confirmed the investigation. It told us: "We are supporting the family of a British man who has been reported missing in Spain and are in contact with the local authorities". The FCDO continues to issue this statement to the press.

• Ms Duncan, Jay's mother, flew to Tenerife on Tuesday to lead the search. However, she told how twisted Brits with “northern accents” had been phoning her with hidden numbers and claiming they had her son captive and were keeping him because he owed them money. The press and police authorities have yet been unable to verify if Jay has been held captive.

• But on Wednesday, one of Jay's close friends conceded she too felt the teen had been kidnapped. She described Jay's disappearance as suspicious and became increasingly concerned when authorities switched the focus of the search from Rural de Teno Park to touristy towns in the south, like Los Cristianos, which are more than 30 miles away.

• Police later on Wednesday said they had resumed their search in the mountains after it was believed the sighting in the south was a false lead.

• Ms Duncan described Jay as the "life and soul" with "everyone loving his company" in a heartbreaking address on Thursday. She also told ITV News she wished she had not encouraged him to go on the holiday, during which the teenager had been to a three-day rave. The mum recalled how she was awoken by police at home in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, telling her she needs to go to Tenerife as her son had been reported missing.

• On Friday evening, it emerged Spanish police - the Guardia Civil - declined the help of Lancashire Constabulary in the investigation. Jay is from Lancashire and while his home force said their "thoughts are with Jay's family", it added the Guardia Civil "confirmed that at this time they are satisfied that they have the resources they need".

Town's sea of blue ribbons as it unites in hope of finding Jay Slater

A Lancashire town has united in the hope of finding Jay Slater with a show of blue ribbons as the search for the teenager continues in Tenerife.

People living in Oswaldtwistle near the teenager's home have rallied together to show their support for his family and friends. The apprentice bricklayer travelled from the East Lancashire town to the Spanish island for a music festival with his two friends Lucy and Bradley but he has not been heard from since Monday morning.

Locals Tracy and Gemma were putting up blue ribbons to raise awareness for Jay. And one resident told the Liverpool Echo: "Everyone is talking about Jay, everybody. A lot of people know him, I knew his mum, all my family know them.

"I have joined the Facebook group [there are official Facebook groups online searching for Jay] and I look at it every 15 minutes for an update. I have his mum's best friend on Facebook and she keeps us updated. As far as I know he is a normal lad who went to a festival. He needs water, it's warm enough here today that I'm sat here with a glass of water. I'm so sorry and it's so sad and all we can do is pray."

A few doors down, Hazel appeared teary as she told how she knew Jay and his mum Debbie very well. She said: "I have watched him grow up over the years, I have lived on this street 16 years and they have lived here much longer than I have.

"I know his mum, his grandma was friends with my mum - my mum texted me last night and said 'I hope they find him.' I have watched him grow up, he is a grand lad, a smashing lad, no problems.

"I am going to get family a card today and there are prayers on at the church down the road tonight. We can't search for him so we are just doing prayers and thinking about him. He is a lovely lad and the family are lovely. We have turned Facebook blue for him. His mum is out there."

Brit car rental owner lends vehicles in Tenerife search for Jay Slater

A Brit owner of a Tenerife car rental company said the community has been “rallying around” to help find Jay Slater, and he has made vehicles available for people helping with the search.

Owner of Sanasty Car Hire Tenerife, Andrew Knight, 29, said he has made 10 cars available free of charge to help people get to the search location, and has helped the search himself.

He said: “I was trying to work out ways I could assist and I had some cars sitting around, and I decided to go on the (Jay Slater Facebook) group and offer those cars so people who wanted to go and join the search could take the cars free of charge, just to get some people up there.

“It’s a very, very remote landscape. It’s difficult to get to, it’s about a 45-minute drive from the main area of Los Cristianos, Las Americas.” Several cars a day have been rented out for this purpose so far, including by the uncle of Mr Slater, Mr Knight claimed, adding that some people had returned with “cuts on their legs from all the cactuses”.

Timeline of Jay Slater’s disappearance

Jay Slater's Instagram account 'being used by mystery person' worried pals say

A mystery person is using the Instagram account of missing Brit Jay Slater, his worried friends said.

The search for the teenager is in its sixth day, during which helicopters, rescue dogs and drones have been deployed across northwest Tenerife.

Friends have used an "official" Facebook group to offer updates on the search, and the latest concerns activity on Jay's Instagram account. It is understood it has been used frequently since he was last heard from - but pals insist he or his mother haven't accessed the account.

One Family friend wrote: "Jay's mums asked I post this... For everyone asking who has logged into his instagram account, it’s not him or her, somebody else has logged into it." The same friend turned comments off on the post, which has been liked more than 100 times.

It is thought Jay, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared after an attempt to walk back to his accommodation after missing a bus.

Lancashire Police's offer of help in search 'remains open' to Spanish

Lancashire Police said it has offered to support the search for missing British teenager Jay Slater who disappeared during a holiday in Tenerife.

A statement from the force read: “First and foremost, our thoughts are with Jay’s family at this time. They must be going through the most distressing ordeal not knowing what has happened to their loved one.

“We have specialist officers who are continuing to support Jay’s family. Whilst this case falls outside the jurisdiction of UK policing, we have made an offer of support to the Guardia Civil to see if they need any additional resources.

“They have confirmed that at this time they are satisfied that they have the resources they need, but that offer remains open and they will contact us should that position change.”

Day five of search concludes with no sign of missing teen

Tenerife rescue teams have been unable to find missing teenager Jay Slater as the fifth day of searching concludes. The 19-year-old was last heard from on the morning of Monday June 17.

Officers are likely to resume their search in the morning, focusing on a ravine around 100 metres below the rental property where Jay was last seen, as well as in mountains between Masca and San Jose, and Masca and Las Portelas.

Inside secluded Airbnb where Jay Slater stayed

The secluded Airbnb let named Casa Abuela Tina, is located just outside the village of Masca where Jay was last known to stay before his disappearance.

The rental isn't situated in a bustling resort filled with hotels, apartments, shops and eateries. Instead, it's discreetly tucked away by the side of a road - so inconspicuous you could easily miss it.

According to the Manchester Evening News, navigating the area would be incredibly difficult if you were unfamiliar with the area, especially on foot; the very steep, narrow and winding roads are frequented by cars driving at high speeds. A 15-minute downhill journey will get you into Masca, but venturing any further would realistically require some form of road transport; whether that be via car, taxi or bus.

An online post describes the Airbnb as having "two bedrooms, two bathrooms, living room and kitchen ideal to enjoy the tranquillity, reading, hiking or nature".

It adds: "The house has WiFi and all the necessary appliances for a comfortable stay in one of the most beautiful and rugged places on the island, nestled in the heart of Macizo de Teno." There is no suggestion the property's owners or the two British men have anything to do with Jay's disappearance.

Tenerife police make chilling 12-word admission

Spanish police admitted they have prepared officers about possibly finding a body in their ongoing search for teenager Jay Slater - with cops saying they will not stop until they have solved the mystery.

The police said “Officers obviously are prepared for the possibility they may find a body.”

One source said this morning: “There’s no talk at this stage of scaling down the efforts to find this missing man and certainly not of suspending it. The plan at the moment is to continue until he is found."

GoFundMe for Jay Slater surpasses £25k in donations

An official GoFundMe fundraiser set up by Jay's friend Lucy Mae has surpassed £25,000 in donations.

The campaign, titled "Get Jay Slater home" has seen £25,096 of the £30,000 target raised so far.

It has not yet been made clear what the £30,000 is being used for.

Rescue team seen 'looking over cliff edges'

Members of the search team were seen "looking over cliff edges" and "over the landscape" as the search for Jay Slater continues, says Manchester Evening News reporter James Holt.

Civil Defence officers from the search team are looking over cliff edges and over the landscape as the search continues @MENnewsdesk pic.twitter.com/XKErhtAHA4

— James Holt - M.E.N (@jameshjourno) June 21, 2024

Where are search teams looking?

Search and rescue teams are focusing on three different areas in the vicinity of Parque Rural de Teno nature reserve, where Jay went missing on Monday. They include a ravine around 100 metres below the rental property where Jay was last seen, as well as in mountains between Masca and San Jose, and Masca and Las Portelas.