Jay Slater's dad says son may have been 'heading for the sea' when he vanished

Jay Slater's dad believes his son may have been heading towards the sea in Tenerife when he disappeared on June 17. Since the police called off the active search last Sunday, Warren has been tirelessly searching the mountains of northwest Tenerife himself.

Jay's last known location was in the Rural de Teno park, near a 2,000ft ravine with a steep drop into the sea around the holiday island. For two weeks, a massive search team comprising police, volunteers, firefighters, drones, helicopters and sniffer dogs scoured the sparse parkland nearby.

However, on Sunday, June 30, local authorities discontinued the extensive hunt, leaving Jay's "angry" family to continue the search on their own. When asked by Manchester Evening News if his son Jay could've been heading towards the sea on the morning he vanished, Warren Slater, 58, responded, "Maybe".

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

Warren expressed his frustration over the police response to Jay's disappearance, saying: "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?"

Jay, an apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, was last heard from on the morning of June 17 when he called a friend to say he was "lost in the middle of nowhere". He had returned to a remote Airbnb with two British men on the northwest side of the island in the early hours before leaving later that morning.

After missing his bus, he began the 11-hour walk back to his accommodation and vanished in the rural northwest mountains. On Monday, Jay's parents implored the police not to abandon their search for their son during a crucial meeting.

Detectives pledged to investigate any new leads or information but remained resolute in discontinuing the active search. A source close to the family disclosed that the decision to end the search was the "nightmare scenario" Jay's family were "dreading".

Yesterday, Jay's anxious family criticised a TikTok creator who flew out to join the search but quit after claiming he's "never had any money" from the GoFundMe. Callum Fahim, who voluntarily travelled to Tenerife to assist the police, claimed he left after receiving death threats and seeing no cash.

He flew over after contacting the 19-year-old's mum, Debbie Duncan, online, according to Sky News. However, Fahim has now shared plans to return to the UK on Thursday.

The Slater family claims Debbie gave Callum £740 of her own money to fund his accommodation. She says the TikToker turned "bitter" after they refused to give him more money.