Search for Missing Teenager Jay Slater Called Off in Tenerife

Spanish police have officially called off the search for missing teenager Jay Slater in Tenerife, according to Global247news reporter Juan Lopez.

Jay Slater, 19, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared on June 17 after setting off to walk back to his accommodation on the holiday island. Despite extensive search efforts, including helicopters, drones, and search dogs, the young apprentice bricklayer remains missing.

A spokesperson for the Guardia Civil announced on Sunday, “The search operation has now finished, although the case remains open.”

The search operation had recently escalated, with the force appealing for volunteer associations, such as firefighters and expert volunteers in rugged terrain, to assist in a “busqueda masiva” – a massive search – on Saturday. This search focused on the village of Masca, near Slater’s last-known location, which is characterized by steep, rocky areas including ravines, trails, and paths.

Jay Slater had attended the NRG music festival with two friends before his disappearance. His last known location was the Rural de Teno Park in the north of the Canary Island, approximately an 11-hour walk from his accommodation. He had traveled to an Airbnb in Masca, but the two men who had rented the property were later deemed "not relevant" to the case.

In an interview with ITV’s This Morning on Friday, Jay’s friend Brad Hargreaves recounted a video call with Slater before his disappearance. Hargreaves described how Slater had gone off the road slightly, resulting in a minor fall. “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,” Hargreaves explained. Despite the incident, both friends were laughing and Slater did not seem overly concerned at the time.

The last known person to speak to Jay Slater was his friend Lucy Law. In a frantic phone call before he went missing, Slater told her he was “lost in the mountains, unaware of his surroundings, desperately needed a drink, and his phone was on 1%.”

A GoFundMe appeal titled "Get Jay Slater Home" was set up by Lucy Law and has raised more than £43,000 as the police search came to an end. Jay Slater’s mother, Debbie Duncan, traveled to the island during the search. She expressed gratitude for the support and mentioned that the funds raised will be used to support mountain rescue teams and cover her accommodation and food costs while on the island.