Yahoo News Jay Slater's dad defends decision not to join search as he hits back at trolls
Jay Slater's father sent a defiant message to cruel online trolls wading in on the search for his youngest child.
Warren, 58, and his son Zac, 24, visited the search site yesterday (June 29) and were seen alongside emergency services and volunteers at the remote mountain spot outside the village of Masca where Jay's mobile phone last pinged. Warren insists he is "leaving it to the professionals" rather than hunt himself in dangerous terrain and revealed he has been trolled for not joining the 'massive' new search operation.
Jay, from Oswaldtwistle, disappeared following an attempt to walk back to his accommodation on June 17. The Civil Guard put out a call to arms to redouble efforts to look for the missing 19-year-old with around 30 members of official emergency service bodies heading out into treacherous conditions, along with just half-a-dozen volunteers.
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The searchers have been amongst thick and sharp cacti, and dense vegetation and helicopters have spent several hours circling the colossal ravines that are at the epicentre of the search.
Speaking at the search site yesterday afternoon, Warren told the Mirror: "I’m grateful to those who have come out here because you can see just how dangerous it is and what gets me is the trollers who are having a go at us for not searching. It’s not the local park, these are big mountains, the terrain is dangerous, put yourself in our position would you go out in these conditions?
"It’s tough, it’s hard, we are leaving it to the professionals and I’m grateful for those who have turned out today and I want to thank them for what they are doing."
The search through the rugged Rural de Teno garnered nothing of significant note. It means the operation is entering its 14th day on Sunday - without yet been scaled back officially. Speaking after yesterday's activity, Warren added: "I just thought he’s gone out had a drink and ended up at some girl’s place as we all did when we were younger, he’s our youngest I just want him home.
"We just still can’t believe it; it’s been so tough on us, and I want people to think about us as parents and what we are going through. All those trollers having a go at us, they don’t know how we feel, why don’t they come up here and have a look and see for themselves how dangerous it is."
The search currently centres a steep rocky area, including ravines, trails and paths, near the village of Masca, Jay's last known location. Brigadier Cipriano Martin, chief of the Guardia Civil's mountain rescue team, said the apprentice bricklayer would not have travelled to "any area we don't go to".
Speaking through a translator, he told the BBC: "There are difficult areas and we've given instructions for people not to risk their own safety. But there's something we need to make clear, which is any area we don't go to, well, Jay won't have gone there either.
"You have to think about it logically - if I see there's vegetation in front of me and I'm going to get spiked, and I can't get through, then he won't have gone through that area either. We have to be logical, obviously."
