Yahoo News 'Massive' Jay Slater Tenerife search party attracts just six volunteers
An appeal for volunteers to join a search party for missing Jay Slater in Tenerife attracted just six volunteers. Despite the Spanish police's call for assistance, the turnout was vert low.
The 19-year-old disappeared on June 17 in the northwest of the island. In spite of broad publicity, only a handful of local residents a British TikToker joined around 30 professionals comprising of police, firefighters, and mountain rescue teams.
Cipriano Martin, leading the Civil Guard's Greim mountain rescue group, said: "Well, we've been searching for lots of days and with the search today, we're talking about 30 people."
The Guardia Civil had posted a plea on Friday for experienced volunteer groups and individuals who are proficient in navigating challenging terrains to partake in a busqueda masiva' or massive search planned for Saturday. Commencing from the nearby village of Masca to where Jay was last spotted, the operation aimed at covering treacherous grounds consisting of steep rocky areas, ravines, and various trails.
READ: New lead in Jay Slater case as Tenerife police probe nightclub Rolex theft Jay Slater, 19, disappeared following an attempt to walk back to his accommodation on June 17
READ: Jay Slater's mum's heartbreaking admission as family swerves press conference Jay Slater, 19, has been missing for more than a week after he vanished while on holiday with friends in Tenerife. His mum Debbie Duncan has issued a heartbreaking plea
Jay, from Lancashire, was last seen at his Airbnb accommodation in Masca, located within the Teno Rural Park, after partying with two men in southern Tenerife, as reported by the Mirror. The lodging owner spotted him as he inquired about the bus schedule heading back to his friends in southern Tenerife.
In a phone conversation with friends Lucy Law and Brad Hargreaves, Jay detailed his intention to undertake the roughly 11-hour return journey on foot.
The group searching for him this morning featured Spanish army reserves, a local mother, and Paul Arnott, a 29 year old British TikToker. Arnott, who is in direct contact with Jay's family including his distressed mum Debbie Duncan, aged 55, commented: "I think the exposure has been really good.
"I've had loads of people that say they're going to come because they've seen my posts and the police, so personally from my point of view I think it's been brilliant. It's what the family wanted and that's what I'm interested in - helping the family."
On whether Jay's relatives might participate in the search, he remarked: "They've said I'm doing a good job and I'm making them proud.
"I wouldn't want them to come out here. It's the worst terrain ever. I wouldn't want my family coming out here, no chance. They're broken. I admire them so much for their strength. It's the worst situation any family could be in. It's horrible."
He elaborated: "I've been checking loads of different areas and some days I've been with the police and mountain rescue who have told me where to go to search. We spoke to Brad and we know that Jay has been sliding down the mountains so I'm looking for slide marks. I've got a picture of his shoes on my phone and I'm looking for any breakages in the plant material. Just any evidence that he has been through this way."
Livia Karczewski, 40, an experienced hiker, was compelled to join the search after learning about it on Facebook, motivated by her own experience as a mother of a teenage son.
She expressed: "I have a son the same age and if something happened to him I would like to think people would come to help find him. It really hits home. I am experienced but not an expert so I will search the paths. It is difficult terrain so you need to be prepared."
Juan Garcia, a 53 year old Army reservist with mountain search and rescue expertise, decided to help after reading about Jay's situation in the local paper. Accompanied by his podenco-cross hunting dog Caperucita, he described the search area as 'difficult' and akin to a 'labyrinth'.
Issuing a caution, he stated: "This landscape can be very dangerous. I am from the island so we are used to this kind of landscape. If you search maybe we are lucky and we find him. We have to put a lot of effort to look slowly, it is like a labyrinth, there's a lot of bushes so it's easy to miss something, especially with the helicopter and drones. That's why you have to walk and I brought my dog in case he can smell something, but it's not an easy task."
Brad, a mate of Jay's, opened up about a video call he had with Jay prior to his disappearance on ITV's This Morning. Brad noted Jay had strayed from his path during the call, stating: "He was on the phone walking down a road and he'd gone over a little bit not a big drop but a tiny little drop and he was going down, and he said 'I'll ring ya back, I'll ring ya back' because I think someone else was ringing him."
Brad remarked that he could see his friend's feet 'sliding' down the hill and hear gravel crunching under his steps. Despite their laughter, it wasn't until they realised the extent of Jay's detour that worry set in.
Speaking on the same show, Brad conveyed hope for Jay's safe return and revealed he was "praying" for him. Further, Debbie, Jay's mother who travelled to the island following her son's sudden vanishing, said online donations will assist mountain rescue teams as well as fund her subsistence and accommodation costs.
