The mother of missing teen Jay Slater says “words cannot describe the pain and agony” her family feels about his disappearance.
Jay, 19, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, was last seen on June 17 walking back to his accommodation while on holiday in Tenerife. Despite an extensive two-week search, he remains missing.
In a statement through the British overseas missing persons charity LBT Global, his mother Debbie Duncan expressed the family’s devastation.
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She described Jay as a “normal guy” in his third year of an apprenticeship, with a large circle of friends. “Words cannot describe the pain and agony we are experiencing,” she said, emphasizing their desperate desire to find him.
Jay was last known to be in the Rural de Teno Park, about an 11-hour walk from his accommodation. He had traveled to an Airbnb in Masca, but the men who rented the property were ruled “not relevant” to the case. Ms. Duncan praised the Spanish police for their exhaustive efforts, including a 12-day land search involving helicopters, drones, and search dogs.
Though the land search has ended, the Guardia Civil continues to investigate why Jay traveled so far from his accommodation.
They recently appealed for experts in rugged terrain to aid in a “massive search.” However, search efforts in Masca were called off after nearly two weeks, with detectives still pursuing several lines of inquiry.
Ms. Duncan asked the media to respect the family’s privacy and denounced conspiracy theories surrounding the case as “vile” and distressing.
She expressed gratitude for the global support, especially from their hometown, and urged continued respect for their privacy during this difficult time.
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