Missing Jay Slater: Tenerife police issue major update as 'massive' new search to take place

Police in Tenerife have made a major announcement in the continued search for missing teenager Jay Slater. The authorities are launching a 'massive search' around the 'multitude of roads, trails and ravines that are found in Masca', the village where the 19-year-old was last tracked.

The 19-year-old from Lancashire has been missing since June 17, when he disappeared in the mountains of north west Tenerife. He had stayed at an Airbnb rental the night before he vanished after 'walking off alone’ in a remote part of the Island. Since his disappearance, huge rescue efforts have been carried out involving members of the Civil Guard, fire crews and mountain rescue teams in the Rural de Teno Park.

The search is now in it's twelfth day. The police leading the investigation previously revealed the search area being probed to find missing Jay had been expanded, with specialist dog teams drafted in from Madrid.

READ MORE: Jay Slater missing in Tenerife LIVE: Latest updates from search after police give tragic update

Today, June 28, the Civil Guard issued a statement saying it is 'preparing and coordinating' a 'massive search' from 9am tomorrow, June 29. The search area, previously described as 'immense', is said to be around 30km wide and has been focusing on three main ravines in the Masca area.

When it first expanded, the search then involved a number of forest trails and tracks within the Buenavista del Norte municipality. In this morning's announcement, the Civil Guard is calling for the 'collaboration of all volunteer associations', including civil protection, firefighters, and 'even private volunteers' who are 'experts in the field of search'.

In a tragic update on Thursday, police searching for the teen said it was 'very unlikely' Jay will be found alive. A well-placed source from the Civil Guard said: “No-one at the moment is talking about the search being brought to an end, even though it’s very unlikely Jay has survived if he got lost in the mountains in the way we were told he did."

Police this week confirmed the Civil Guard are looking to the north of the Masca Gorge. Three separate ravines – including one where it is believed the 19-year-old's phone last 'pinged' shortly after he disappeared are also being searched. The area where his phone was last tracked was in the Rural de Teno Park - an area popular with hikers, near the village of Masca.

The 'massive search' will begin in Masca, the village close to the rural Airbnb rental where Jay stayed the night before he went missing. Translated, the announcement from the Civil Guard reads: "The Civil Guard prepares and will coordinate a macro search to find the young British [man] missing in the town of Masca.

"The collaboration of all those volunteer associations is requested: Civil Protection, Firefighters, etc., and even private volunteers experts in the abrupt field of search. The massive raid will take place on Saturday, June 29 from 9.00 a.m.

"On the occasion of the disappearance, from the afternoon/night of June 17, of the 19-year-old British boy in the Masca area, belonging to the municipality of Buenavista del Norte, the Civil Guard is preparing to carry out a massive search.

"Taking into account that it is a steep, rocky area, full of unevenness and with a multitude of ravines, paths and paths, the collaboration of all those volunteer associations that can help in that raid that is intended to be carried out in a directed and coordinated way is requested.

"That massive search will begin on Saturday, June 29 at 9.00am., a meeting point will be established at the Mirador de la Cruz de Hilda (Masca), to start the search in a logical and orderly way in the multitude of roads, trails and ravines that are found in Masca.

"Volunteers must contact the Civil Guard by calling 696434031, before 8.00pm on Friday, June 28."