Jay Slater's dad breaks silence with heartbreaking question about search

Jay Slater's father has confessed to being "baffled" by his son's mysterious disappearance and is questioning the motives behind the teenager's last known movements.

Distraught Warren, 58, has been tirelessly searching the ravine where signals from Jay's phone were last detected 16 days prior.

In a statement, he said: "You just don't disappear. It's just ridiculous that somebody can just disappear. He's a young boy, he's fit. He's fitter than us all put together. He's played football all his life, he's fit as a flea. You just don't disappear. I don't know. It's just a mystery. It's baffling."

READ MORE: Jay Slater Airbnb man is convicted drug dealer who says 'he left alive'

Warren, visibly shaken, spoke out following reports that Jay felt intimidated when departing the secluded holiday let in Masca, which is situated 20 miles from his lodging, and purportedly confided to friends that he was unable to return there.

The Spanish authorities have indicated that the two British men, who reportedly had interactions with the police before departing the island, are not connected to the case of the missing person, reports the Mirror.

Warren said: "My only question is, and this is where you start the investigation from, why did two grown men take a young boy to a valley to a bed and breakfast? I can't understand that. Why? Why? You need to ask them why and then start from there."

He also voiced his frustration with the investigation, citing challenges such as the language barrier and cultural differences in dealing with the Spanish police: "Spanish police must know. It is frustrating. It's the language barrier and you can't get mad at Spanish police because they don't like it."

"I've gone past the sadness bit and I'm angry, if that makes any sense. I'm angry that nothing's happened. If I left you here and then you just disappeared, do you not think police would be on my case? ".

In conversation with his elder son Zak, 24, and one of Jay's uncles, Warren said: "We've been all the way down. We've walked as far as you can until it's too dangerous. All I'm doing is a Colombo bit myself. I mean he might be on here, you never know, but as a dad I don't want him to be.

Previously, Warren had expressed his concerns about the family searching in the ravine themselves due to "how dangerous it is". However, now that the official search has concluded, he and his family feel compelled to navigate through the perilous terrain themselves.

Yesterday, Warren sustained cuts on both his arms and legs from getting through the hazardous landscape. He said: "This is where his phone last pinged. This was the valley and I've come to the point of no return.

"We followed the path all the way down the valley. If I had mountain boots on and some ropes I would go for it, but I can't do it in Adidas sandals."

Nonetheless, pointing towards a large mountain peak in the distance, he added: "If someone told me 'he's up that hill and you'll find him', I'd climb that f****** hill and find him.

"When asked if the family still plans to remain in Tenerife until Jay is found, he said: "I know his mum wants to, maybe his brother wants to, but you can't stay forever.

"His mum is saying 'he's not been found, I'm not leaving this island'. But it's hard, it's so f*****g hard."

Discussing the police investigation, Warren said: "The police here are doing their own investigations. They're not really telling us anything, they're not telling you lot anything, we're in the dark. They know best.

"If it was in England I'd be making a stink, but we're in a foreign country and we've just got to leave it to people who know best."

On whether he believes Jay might have headed towards the sea, which could be seen from afar, he admitted: "Maybe".

He elaborated: "I've done this trail now twice. Every step I've took there's been an opening. If you land on one of those cactus' you're not moving. Surely somebody's gonna find you after two weeks."

Commenting on the terrain below, he described: "It's hundreds of square feet of this little bushy stuff. You can't explain this to somebody unless they see it. You can take a photograph or film it, but until you're here..."

Warren's statements came after a former British police detective working with the family suggested that Jay had felt frightened when he departed from the holiday home where he was last spotted.

Warren said: "I've took him on many a trail when he was a kid up where we live. He doesn't know this area, but when he was a kid I've taken him up Pendle Hill."

Speaking about criticism the family have received over wanting to withdraw part of the GoFundMe donations, which have now reached nearly £50,000, he said: "We just want to pay for our hotel, we don't want to do anything."

Get all the latest and breaking news in Yorkshire by signing up to our newsletter here.