Jay Slater: Volunteers asked to help with 'massive search' in Tenerife for missing teenager

Eleanor Barlow, PA & Veronique Hawksworth

28 June 2024 at 8:24 am·2-min read

Police are stepping up their efforts to find missing teenager Jay Slater, who vanished in Tenerife, by launching a "massive search" operation on Saturday. Jay, 19, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared when attempting to walk back to his accommodation over Tenerife's mountainous terrain on June 17.

On Friday, the Guardia Civil appealed for volunteer groups including firefighters and independent volunteers with skills in rugged terrain to support in a significant manhunt - or in Spanish, a "busqueda masiva". The search is set to commence at 9 am on Saturday in Masca village, near to his last-known spot.

The search will cover challenging rocky zones including ravines, trails and paths, and citizens capable of joining the effort should get in touch with the Guardia Civil by 8 pm today, Friday June 28. The escalating search comes as the hunt for the young apprentice bricklayer stretches into its 12th day.

A group of search and rescue workers near to the village of Masca, Tenerife, where the search for missing British teenager Jay Slater, 19, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, continues — The Guardia Civil has called on the public to aid with the search -Credit:PA Wire/PA Images

Prior to his unexplained disappearance, Mr Slater was enjoying the NRG music festival on the island with his mates. His final known whereabouts were the Rural de Teno Park in the island's north roughly an 11 hour walk from where he was staying.

His mum, Debbie Duncan, who flew out to the island as soon as the news broke, mentioned that funds collected online will be invested to aid mountain rescue teams and manage her personal living costs whilst she waits for news of her son.

The fundraiser "Get Jay Slater home", set up by friend Lucy Law who was the last person to speak with him, has attracted considerable generosity. By Friday, more than £40,000 had been kindly donated. Ms Duncan issued an update on Thursday, sharing, "We are currently working with GoFundMe to withdraw part of the funds, which are being safely held."

She further added: "I wanted to share that these funds will be used to support the mountain rescue teams who are tirelessly searching for Jay. Also, as our stay in Tenerife needs to be extended, we will utilise the funds towards accommodation and food expenses."

According to Ms Law, Mr Slater made a distressed phone call just before his disappearance during which he mentioned he was "lost in the mountains, he wasn't aware of his surroundings, he desperately needed a drink and his phone was on 1%". Search teams under Guardia Civil's coordination have initiated a large-scale search operation employing helicopters, drones and search dogs across the hilly terrain of the island, but their efforts are yet to yield any results regarding the teenager's location.

Describing her son's disappearance and the agonising wait for news, Ms Duncan said it was a "living nightmare".

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