Jay Slater disappearance leaves staff at Tenerife bar where missing teen partied devastated

The disappearance of 19-year-old Jay Slater, who vanished in Tenerife after a night out at the NRG music festival, has left bar staff at the resort where he partied devastated. The Lancashire lad was reported missing on June 17 from the rural village of Masca, where it's believed he stayed with people he met at the festival held at Papagayo beach club in Playa de la Americas.

NRG had promised a 'weekend of electrifying music, stunning visuals, and innovative productions' for their inaugural Tenerife Weekender Festival, with the closing party taking place at the massive venue on June 16. However, the festivities took a dark turn when Jay was reported missing the following morning.

It's thought he had been staying at an Airbnb rental 30km away in Rural de Teno Park and left alone on foot the next day. When the Manchester Evening News visited the Papagayo club on June 24, staff member Florin, who didn't recall seeing Jay or his companions on the night of the closing party, said Jay's disappearance was all they were talking about.

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The bar staff member admitted to only learning about the incident through news reports.

As the search for Jay enters its second week, involving the Civil Guard, Civil Defence, mountain rescue teams and fire crews, a wave of concern has swept across both tourists and locals on the Spanish island.

Monica, an employee at Paniclub near the vibrant Playa de la Americas nightlife hub, shared that the disappearance of Jay is the talk of the town, with everyone feeling the weight of the tragic situation. Monica expressed her dismay, saying: "Everybody here is living nice and happy, so it's very sad news. It's horrible, horrible.

"Yesterday I was off and we were speaking the whole day about him. It's all we are talking about, the local people. It's everywhere in the media, it's so sad."

Monica also touched on the issues plaguing tourists in the area, noting that many often drink too much and there's a prevalent 'problem with drugs', specifically cannabis and cocaine. During a visit to the resort, reporters were approached multiple times by individuals offering drugs.

Highlighting the risks of the local party scene, she said: "Everybody here is looking for fun and drinks. People could go out partying and get lost here, in the nighttime it can be dangerous."

Maria, who works at a neighbouring hotel, shared her personal anguish over the incident: "It's breaking my heart. Especially for myself, because I have a 19-year-old son. I hope he is okay."

Jay had made his way to a secluded holiday rental north of Masca in the rugged Rural de Teno Park on Sunday night, June 16, after a night out.

The location is approximately 30km away from the resort where he had spent the previous evening. He reportedly left the cottage on the morning of June 17 and walked off alone.

Since then, there has been no sight or sound of him, with extensive search operations now entering their second week.