Jay Slater's loved ones 'drained beyond words' as desperate search continues in Tenerife

Friends and family of missing teenager Jay Slater say they are 'drained beyond words' and in a 'living nightmare' as the desperate search for him enters a fifth day.

A new statement was issued by Rach Louise Harg, who is sharing updates in the 'Jay Slater missing' Facebook group on behalf of his loved ones, said there was 'no update' at the end of the fourth day of searching. The 19-year-old, from Oswaldtwistle, was last heard from on Monday morning.

He called his friend, Lucy Law, after attempting to walk from Rural de Teno park, his last known location, back to his accommodation after missing a bus. Search teams refocused their efforts on Thursday in the north of Tenerife, where Rural de Teno park is located, after discounting a potential lead in the south of the island.

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Lucy said Jay, who she attended NRG music festival with, called her at around 8.30am on Monday and told her he was “lost in the mountains, he wasn’t aware of his surroundings, he desperately needed a drink and his phone was on 1%”. A major search operation has been ongoing on the Spanish island in the four days since his disappearance.

As the night drew in last night (June 20), Rach said his family and friends were 'drained beyond words' and in a 'living nightmare'. In the post, she said: "There isn’t an update for anyone unfortunately.

"Struggling to find words at this time but all I can say is we are looking still and everyone is doing all they can!! We are drained beyond words I just can’t say no more I wish I could I wish this would end now this living nightmare SEARCHES are on going and we remain positive.

"If anyone as not got anything positive to say don’t even bother now just go away honestly. Thanks to you all supporting and helping we can’t thank you any more , much love. Please stop messaging me and the family of Jay unless it’s vital."

More than £23,000 has so far been been raised on a verified GoFundMe page. The page was set up by Lucy and the money is believed to be going towards the costs of Jay's loved ones staying in Tenerife.

The area in which Jay Slater is believed to have gone missing is part of a “remote and wild national park,” explained BBC’s Nick Garnett, as he visited the area to report on the search. Faced with cold nights and high winds, the mountainous area could prove to be tricky for emergency personnel searching the area for the missing apprentice bricklayer.

"Deep ravines and huge daunting mountains make the national park a difficult place for the Spanish search teams to navigate, but one mountain rescue worker told me this is not the first time they’ve been called out to the area," he said. "At night, the countryside becomes a maze, pitch black and disorientating."

Search and rescue teams have been concentrating on one particular valley near the top of a mountain pass, according to reports, with a helicopter also surveying the area.