The search for a British teenager who vanished after a night out in Tenerife has now entered its fifth day, with rescue teams and police intensifying efforts in a rural village and the valley below.
Despite deploying drones, dogs, and a helicopter, Jay Slater, a 19-year-old from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, remains missing.
Slater was last heard from when he called a friend around 09:00 BST on Monday, his location being a path in the rugged terrain of the Rural de Teno national park in north-west Tenerife.
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Slater’s friends and family reported that he got into a car with two men he met while on holiday, parting ways with his group in Playa de las Americas, a tourist hotspot in southern Tenerife. Search teams have been meticulously combing a mountain road, focusing on a ravine and then moving to a valley in the village of Masca. Police and mountain rescue officials have also been investigating a steep area behind the apartment where Slater was reportedly driven.
Investigators have been collecting bags of rubbish from the area in hopes of finding clues but have yet to uncover any leads. Slater, an apprentice bricklayer, was on his first holiday without his parents, attending the NRG music festival with two friends. Lucy Law, the last person to speak with him, said Slater mentioned during their call that he missed a bus, decided to walk the 10-hour journey home, was lost, needed water, and had only 1% battery left on his phone.
In Lancashire, Slater’s hometown community has shown support by tying blue ribbons on buildings and holding a prayer service at West End Methodist Church. Callum Thorpe, a friend since primary school, initially thought Slater had just attended an afterparty but is now increasingly worried as time passes without news.
A Facebook group created by Slater’s friends has garnered over 450,000 members, with posts expressing their exhaustion and ongoing hope. Rachel Louise Harg, writing in the group, described the situation as a “living nightmare” but affirmed that searches are ongoing with a positive outlook.
On Tuesday, Slater’s mother Debbie Duncan and older brother Zak Slater flew to Tenerife to join the search efforts. By Wednesday, the Guardia Civil briefly shifted the search to Los Cristianos in southern Tenerife based on a tip-off, but quickly returned to the original search area after the lead was discounted. Lancashire Police are supporting the family and coordinating with the British Embassy but have not sent officers to Tenerife or interviewed witnesses.
Lucy Law emphasized the urgent need for British police assistance, stating that Slater was unprepared for the conditions in the national park, lacking suncream, water, or adequate clothing. She urged for more help to bring him back to his family.
Key events in the case timeline include:
- Sunday, 16 June: Slater and friends attend the final day of the NRG music festival in Playa de las Americas.
- Monday, 17 June: Between 03:00 and 06:00 BST, Slater leaves Playa de las Americas with two men. At 07:30, he posts a Snapchat photo from Parque Rural de Teno. By 08:30 to 09:00, he calls a friend, saying he missed a bus and is walking back but gets lost.
- Tuesday, 18 June: Friends search the area but find no trace. Local police and rescue teams start their search as his mother and brother fly to Tenerife.
- Wednesday, 19 June: The search continues with extensive resources but no leads. A brief move to Los Cristianos yields no results, and efforts return to the national park.
- Thursday, 20 June: Search teams resume their intensive efforts in the park with continued hopes of finding Slater.
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