Family share 'possible sighting' of missing Jay Slater in Tenerife village

The loved ones of a British teenager, Jay Slater, who has gone missing in Tenerife, have shared an image of a 'possible sighting' of the young man as the frantic search for him continues.

Jay Slater's disappearance is now into its second week after the 19 year old was reported missing by his friends on the Spanish island last Monday (June 17). It's reported that the teenager wandered off alone into a mountainous region in the Rural de Teno Park, near the village of Masca, after leaving an Airbnb rental flat where he had been staying with two acquaintances from the NRG music festival.

Emergency searches involving Civil Guard officers, firefighters and mountain rescue teams have been ongoing in the vast area since his disappearance. Jay's family and friends now believe there may have been a 'possible sighting' of him in the village of Santiago del Teide - approximately 7km from Masca.

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His family and friends claim the image appears to show a male walking past a church in the village around 6pm on Monday - roughly ten hours after he was reportedly last heard from. They believe the blurry image could potentially resemble Jay, reports the Manchester Evening News.

The Civil Guard has not directly confirmed to the M.E.N whether this sighting is being investigated. Family friend Rachel Hargreaves stated that the police are investigating 'every lead'.

Speaking from Santiago del Teide village yesterday, dad Warren questioned: "You think, has somebody got him? Because no matter if you were drunk or whatever, you don't go off that road up there."

Adding that "And there are people up there... you don't go along that road for more than 20 minutes without somebody stopping you or passing you."

He expressed his own certainty saying, "I knew right from when I went up there that he wouldn't have gone [off that road]. He isn't stupid. When I saw the police I asked them, seriously, 'would you go off that road? ' and I think it woke them up a bit."

He further explained, "It started out as it being a lad who had gone walking and got lost, or that he may have fallen. But it doesn't make sense. Nobody would walk off that road. Why would he have gone uphill? ".

Describing the daunting terrain, he said "It's dangerous; it's a massive mountain. It's not just a hill. It was only when I went up there myself [that I noticed]. People that go out to a party don't come up here."

In a heartwarming moment, the fundraiser set up by Jay's friend Lucy nailed its target of £30,000 yesterday. The page, which came about three days ago, received the family's approval.

From their end, a post on the fundraiser yesterday confirmed: "We have not yet withdrawn any funds and are currently covering the expenses, such as the trip to Tenerife and accommodation, ourselves. The funds will remain on hold with GoFundMe until we post a further update on this page."

Debbie Duncan, the distressed mother of 19 year old Jay who vanished, has revealed her anguish, admitting she's been unable to sleep since her son's disappearance. She expressed uncertainty over whether the Spanish authorities' refusal of UK assistance was perceived as 'an insult'.

Detailing the family's struggle, Ms Duncan shared: "We're not. I'm not coping very well at all. I've not slept, I'm exhausted. It's been awful. I can't give up on him, I just can't."

Sunday marked a full week since the search began for Jay, with an extensive operation involving drones, helicopters, firefighters, search dogs, and mountain rescue teams all joining forces in the effort to find him. Search efforts on Sunday morning also concentrated on a small cabin located near where Jay's mobile phone last signalled.

Search and rescue teams have been scouring a 30-kilometre radius with a focus on three key areas: Masca Gorge, La Vica, and Las Portelas, including the broader Masca region, in hopes of locating the young Brit.