Yahoo News Missing Jay Slater was 'reluctant' to go to Tenerife before disappearance, stepdad says
Missing Jay Slater's stepdad has revealed he had to be 'talked into going' to Tenerife by his pals before his disappearance. The search for the 19-year-old on the island has entered its fourth day.
The apprentice bricklayer was reported missing on Monday, LancsLive reports. Jay had flown to the Canary Islands with friends to attend a music festival, but failed to return to their apartment after staying out on Sunday night. Jay's mum Debbie Duncan flew out to Tenerife on Tuesday morning after she was informed of his disappearance by officers from Lancashire Constabulary.
Other family members, including Jay's uncle Glen, joined her yesterday (Wednesday).
Speaking from the family home in Oswaldtwistle, Jay's stepdad Andy Watson revealed the teenager had been reluctant to go abroad. Jay travelled to Tenerife earlier this month to attend the three-day NRG music festival.
"[His friends] had to talk him into going," Andy, 63, told LancsLive. "He wasn't really that keen." Jay's mum Debbie has also described how her youngest son had to be persuaded to go on the holiday. "I wish I hadn't encouraged him," Debbie told ITV.
The last reported contact anyone had with Jay was at around 8.50am on Monday morning when he spoke to his friend Lucy. She said that Jay had told her he had missed the bus and was planning on walking back to their apartment.
Jay's mobile phone then cut off, with his last location showing as the Rural de Teno park; a mountainous area popular with hikers which is an 11-hour walk away from where he was staying.
Lucy told the Manchester Evening News one of the people Jay had met on Sunday night had driven them back to his apartment in a hire car and Jay had not realised how far away it was.
“He’s ended up out in the middle of nowhere. Jay was obviously thinking he would be able to get home from there,” she said. “But then in the morning he’s set off walking, using his maps on his phone and ended up in the middle of mountains with nothing around.”
