Jay Slater’s devastated family remains “in the dark” after police in Tenerife abruptly halted the search for the missing teen, according to friends.
The 19-year-old from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, vanished on June 17 while vacationing with two friends. Despite the on-the-ground search being called off, island authorities assert the case is still active and vow to follow up on any new leads.
Close family friend Rachel Hargreaves, who has joined Jay’s family in Tenerife, expressed their determination to continue searching for him.
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Jay’s parents, Debbie and Warren, along with his brother Zak, are still on the island seeking answers. They were “blindsided” by the abrupt end to the search, which has left them grappling with the uncertainty and dealing with vile fake ransom demands and threats.
Spanish authorities have confirmed there is “no current evidence of criminality” in Jay’s disappearance. A family friend told The Times that Jay’s loved ones are still “in the dark” about what will happen now that the official search has concluded.
Meanwhile, Mark Williams-Thomas, a former investigator who worked on the Madeleine McCann case, has urged Jay’s family to use the £45,000 raised by well-wishers to fund a private search. Williams-Thomas suggests hiring a team of experts to conduct a thorough search in the area where Jay was last seen.
Supporters have donated over £45,000 to a GoFundMe page set up by Jay’s friend Lucy Law. Jay’s mother, Debbie Duncan, has confirmed plans to use some of the funds to fly out family friends and cover their accommodation and food expenses as they continue the search.
Jay’s family is scheduled to meet with Spanish police today to seek answers about the investigation. Before the search was called off, Tenerife police organized a “last push” operation involving 30 officers, firefighters, rescuers, and volunteers to scour the mountains in Masca. Despite these efforts, no trace of Jay was found. Paul Arnott, a volunteer climber, criticized the final search as a “PR stunt” and expressed frustration over the situation on his TikTok page.
Jay disappeared on the morning of June 17 after a night out at the NRG festival at Papagayo nightclub in Playa de las Americas. His last known movements involved traveling with two unknown men to the Rural de Teno park in the island’s north.
During a final frantic phone call to his friend Lucy Law, Jay said he was stranded in the “middle of nowhere” with only 1% battery left on his phone. His friend Brad Hargreaves revealed that in a second call, Jay mentioned veering off the main path, leading to speculation that he might have slipped on rocks. Brad could hear Jay slipping during their final video call.
The disappearance prompted a desperate, round-the-clock search effort. Rescue crews focused on the 2,000ft Masca ravine and later shifted to caves near Los Carrizales. Jay’s final Snapchat post was a blurry photo taken at 7:30 am on June 17 in Buenavista del Norte, within the Rural de Teno park.
He had traveled there with the two men he met at the club, and locals claimed to have seen him “walking alone” before his disappearance. Jay’s family remains committed to finding out what happened to him, despite the challenges and uncertainty they face.
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