Yahoo News Jay Slater missing: Dad makes emotional visit to site in Tenerife in search for his son
The father of missing teenager Jay Slater, Warren Slater, has made a heart-wrenching visit to the search site, tearfully saying: "I just want the boy back." Accompanied by Jay's brother Zak, 58-year-old Warren approached the area in Masca, near where the apprentice bricklayer vanished after 8am on Monday.
With police and mountain rescue teams entering their seventh day of searching, Warren and Zak, along with nine of Jay's friends, gathered for the first time at the location. In a poignant moment of unity, Warren and his 24 year old son Zak embraced as they surveyed the ongoing efforts to locate Jay.
Emotions ran high as the family members visited the rental property where Jay was last seen, both breaking down in tears, reports the Mirror. Jay's mother Debbie, 55, who is separated from Warren, found herself unable to attend the site.
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Debbie expressed her fatigue and hope, saying: "I'm just exhausted. I'm still hopeful. I'm not feeling negative just yet." She continued: "My boy might be just up there somewhere. We're all devastated. He's just a normal boy from a little town in Lancashire. These things don't happen."
Debbie also shared her distress over the situation: "I was in touch with him while he is in Tenerife. He was just holidaying away, he'd saved up and was looking forward to it."
Debbie has voiced her frustration with online harassers and rumour-mongers who have been attacking her and her relatives. In dismay, she said: "People keep asking on social media 'why aren't I up there?' and calling me the new Karen Matthews. I just can't face it." From the hotel where they are residing, Debbie said that there had been no updates from the authorities on Saturday.
The worried mother, 55, disclosed a glimmer of hope as someone has claimed to have spotted her son last Monday evening, accompanying two other individuals. This sighting was reported on the same day he vanished after asking about a bus route back to southern Tenerife, where he was visiting companions.
"Someone has come forward to say they saw someone who they thought was Jay walking back down the road sat on a bench," Debbie said, recounting the tip-off. "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."
She added, deeply concerned: "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?"
