Rescue workers searching for missing British teenager Jay Slater in Tenerife have found human remains, according to Spanish police.

This comes after Spanish police said at the end of June that the search for Jay had been called off, nearly two weeks after he went missing.

The apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, was last seen by a cafe owner in the area.

According to her account, the teenager had inquired about bus schedules but opted not to wait for a service that would arrive in two hours. After making this decision, he was seen walking out of the village.

Subsequently, the last signal from his phone was detected in the Rural de Teno National Park.

As reported by Sky News, the remains were discovered in an area where the teenager went missing.

Authorities in Tenerife, Spain, have been desperately searching for missing 19-year-old Jay, who disappeared a month ago while on vacation with friends.

Search dogs and mountain rescue teams - as well as volunteers - had also joined the search for the missing teen.

Jay had traveled to the Canary Island on June 13 for the NRG music festival at Papagayo nightclub in Playa de las Americas along with his friend Lucy and another companion.

However, after a night out, he opted to stay with individuals he had recently met, rather than return to their shared apartment.

Although formal identification is still pending, authorities have stated that the evidence strongly indicates the remains belong to the 19-year-old.

Police said in a statement via Sky News: "The mountain rescue and intervention group of the Civil Guard has located the lifeless body of a young man in the Masca area after 29 days of constant search.

"Given the complexity of the case, the discovery has been possible thanks to the incessant and discreet search carried out by the Civil Guard during these 29 days, in which the natural space was preserved so that it would not be filled with curious onlookers.

"All indications indicate that it could be the young British man who has been missing since June 17 in the absence of full identification.

"The first investigations reveal that he could have suffered an accident fall in the inaccessible area where he was found. We are awaiting the results of the autopsy."

The Civil Guard's mountain rescue and intervention group located the lifeless body in the Masca area after an intense 29-day search effort.

The police statement highlighted the challenging terrain where the body was found, suggesting that Jay may have suffered a fatal accident or fall in the inaccessible region.

The discovery comes after weeks of relentless searching, characterized by discreet efforts to preserve the natural environment and minimize interference from bystanders.

Canarias Radio also reported on the find, noting that initial investigations point towards an accident or fall in the area where Jay was last seen.

Jay disappeared on June 17 after communicating with his friend Lucy Law about encountering difficulties during a hike from the northern part of the island back to his holiday accommodations in the south.

His journey was expected to take approximately 11 hours, but concerns mounted when he failed to arrive and subsequent attempts to contact him proved unsuccessful.

Jay's last contact with Lucy Law at 8:30AM on the day of his disappearance indicated that he had missed a bus, his phone battery was critically low at 1%, and he had injured himself on a cactus.

On Sunday, his mother, Debbie Duncan issued a new statement through the British overseas missing persons charity, LBT Global.

She said the family "cannot put into words" the heartache they have been through.

She said her son was "loved by everyone and has a close bond with his family and many, many friends".

Debbie went on to describe the teenager as a "loving son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend to so many".

She also said that certain comments online were "very distressing for us all to read".

Debbie added: "We are aware of the awful comments and conspiracy theories that are filling social media.

"These theories are hindering the people trying to help us in their investigations here in Tenerife and are vile to see as a family."

She described her son as "a typical young man who loves life with a bright future ahead of him," adding: "This month will mark the end of his three year apprenticeship with the world at his feet. He is loved by everyone and has a close bond with his family and many many friends."

This a developing story. More to follow...

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The Spanish Civil Guard has revealed why it "discreetly" continued the search for Jay Slater despite publicly announcing the hunt had ended.

On Monday (July 15), almost a month after the 19-year-old went missing, human remains were discovered in the village of Masca, which was just a 20-minute walk from the last location where Slater's phone had pinged in Tenerife.

The following day, a spokesperson for the High Court of Justice of the Canary Islands confirmed to Sky News and BBC News that the body found was the missing British teenager.

Officials identified the remains remains through fingerprint analysis. "We have a positive identification and more data: fingerprint tests show that the body is [that] of Jay Slater," a court spokesperson said.

A Civil Guard representative disclosed that the teen's injuries, including several broken bones, were consistent with a fall.

"The result of the preliminary autopsy points to the cause of death being a fall or plunge from height due to the broken bones he suffered," she said, per Daily Mail.

The teen from Lancashire in the UK had vanished on June 17 after leaving an Airbnb where he'd spent the night with two men.

Before his disappearance, Slater attended a rave with friends Lucy Mae Law and Brad Hargreaves at Papagayo nightclub during the NRG music festival.

The following morning, he called his friend Lucy Mae Law to say he was about to begin an 11-hour walk back to where they were staying. He also told her that he was lost and thirsty and that his phone battery was critically low.

On Sunday (June 30), the Spanish Civil Guard announced that the search for Slater around the Rural de Teno Park area had come to an end, but that the case remains open.

However, according to The Independent, Tenerife’s civil guard has now revealed that they continued an “incessant and discreet” search in which the “natural space was preserved so that it would not be filled with curious onlookers," despite having publicly called off the search.

Slater's grieving mom, Debbie Duncan, expressed her heartbreak over her late son's death in a heartwrenching message placed near the ravine where the young boy was located.

“To my beautiful boy. I’m so sorry we never found you. I miss you so much. You will be forever young and forever missed. Love you so much, Mum,” Debbie penned, as cited by Metro.

The late boy's dad Walter said: “To my Boy, Love Dad, Always, XXXX," while his brother Zak addressed his "little bro," writing: "Never in a million years did I think I’d be doing this.

"I’ll look after mum and dad. Hope you’re partying up there with granddad. Hope to see you again some day. Rest easy bro, I love you, Zak XX," he concluded.

Our thoughts remain with Slater's loved ones at this devastating time.

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Lancashire Police has issued a statement following the discovery of a body in Tenerife during the search for Jay Slater.

The 19-year-old, hailing from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, went missing on the Spanish island on the morning of June 17. Intensive search efforts have been ongoing since then, and today, exactly four weeks later, Spanish authorities announced the discovery of human remains.

The Civil Guard reported that the body was found in the Masca area, the same area where Jay was last seen. While formal identification is pending, authorities stated that all signs point to the body being that of Jay Slater, who they believe may have experienced an accident or fall in the area.

In response to this development, Lancashire Police issued a statement today, expressing their condolences to Jay's family during this difficult time.

A spokesperson for the Lancashire Police said: "We have been informed today (Monday, July 15) by the Guardia Civil that they have located the body of a man, and indications suggest this may be Jay Slater.

"While formal identification has yet to be conducted, our thoughts are with Jay’s family at this time, and we continue to provide them with our support."

Earlier today, a spokesperson for the Civil Guard in Tenerife provided further details, stating: "After 29 days of continuous searching, the lifeless body of the young man was discovered in the Masca area. This discovery was made possible thanks to the persistent and discreet efforts of the Civil Guard over the past 29 days."

The statement continued: "All evidence points to the body being that of the young British man who went missing on June 17, pending full identification. Initial investigations indicate he may have suffered an accident or fall in the area where he was found."

Yesterday, Jay's mother, Debbie Duncan, issued a poignant statement through the British overseas missing persons charity, LBT Global., describing her son as a beloved and vibrant young man.

"We cannot express the anguish we are experiencing as a family," Debbie said. "Jay is a typical young man who embraces life with a promising future ahead of him. This month marks the completion of his three-year apprenticeship, and he had the world at his feet."

"He is cherished by everyone and has a deep connection with his family and countless friends."

Spanish police told Sky News: "The mountain rescue and intervention group of the Civil Guard has located the lifeless body of a young man in the Masca area after 29 days of constant search.

"Given the complexity of the case, the discovery has been possible thanks to the incessant and discreet search carried out by the Civil Guard during these 29 days, in which the natural space was preserved so that it would not be filled with curious onlookers.

"All indications indicate that it could be the young British man who has been missing since June 17 in the absence of full identification.

"The first investigations reveal that he could have suffered an accident fall in the inaccessible area where he was found. We are awaiting the results of the autopsy."

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Jay Slater shared a key piece of information that would lead Spanish rescue teams to the search area where a body has now been found.

On Monday (July 15) - exactly four weeks after the 19-year-old was reported missing - the Spanish Civil Guard revealed the heartbreaking news that search teams had discovered a body in the village of Masca, a short distance from where the Jay was last seen alive. 

Jay - an apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire - had been visiting the island of Tenerife with friends Lucy Mae Law and Brad Hargreaves as part of the NRG music festival.

On Sunday, June 16, the trio attended an event at the Papagayo beach club in the resort of Playa de la Americas. However, rather than return to their shared accommodation, Jay chose to stay out with two men he had met a few days earlier - later traveling to the village of Masca to spend several hours at their Airbnb.

After sharing a Snapchat post at approximately 07:30AM, Jay then called both Brad and Lucy Mae and informed them that he was going to try and walk back to their holiday apartment - a journey that would have taken him around 11 hours. 

Less than an hour after their final call, Lucy Mae reported Jay missing. 

On July 15, a statement from the Civil Guard read: "The mountain rescue and intervention group of the Civil Guard has located the lifeless body of a young man in the Masca area after 29 days of constant search.

"Given the complexity of the case, the discovery has been possible thanks to the incessant and discreet search carried out by the Civil Guard during these 29 days, in which the natural space was preserved so that it would not be filled with curious onlookers.

"All indications indicate that it could be the young British man who has been missing since June 17 in the absence of full identification.

"The first investigations reveal that he could have suffered an accident or fall in the inaccessible area where he was found."

It has since emerged that Jay's final phone call with Lucy Mae could have steered rescuers to the location where the body was found.

Recalling their final conversation, Lucy Mae previously told the Manchester Evening News: "He rang me at about 8 o’clock in the morning saying his phone was on 1 percent, he said ‘I don’t know where I am, I need a drink and my phone is about to die."

Lucy Mae added that Jay had told her that he was thirsty and that he had "cut his leg on a cactus".

Speaking to reporters, Cipriano Martin - head of the Civil Guard's Greim mountain rescue unit - had previously revealed why Lucy Mae's account of her final phone call with Jay was so crucial.

As reported by The Sun, Martin said that the information that Jay had injured his leg on a cactus was a vital clue for search teams to know that the teenager had wondered from main road.

Per The Mirror, he explained: "Masca's been looked at - the Juan Lopez ravine, the Retamar ravine, Las Aneas ravine, Los Carrizales ravine - in all the areas we know he's been in because his mobile phone coverage is undeniable and places him there."

"But we have a difficulty which is that once the phone goes off the antennas stop picking it up, so that while he's walking, and we don't know how long he was walking for, no phone mast is going to detect it, and as the technicians tell us, they look for mobiles and not people, so we're at that point as well, that we have certain information and we have to go on that," Martin added.

"Another of the things that leads us to consider that hypothesis is when he rings his friend Lucy and says he's cut himself on a cactus and he's worried because he doesn't know whether it's poisonous or not, and she tells him not to worry that it's not poisonous.

"But for that to happen you have to leave the road because you're not going to cut yourself on a cactus being on the road and he's had to go into the mountains obviously."

Following the news that a body has been found in the search, donations and tributes have also poured in for the Slater family on GoFundMe.

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Following the decision to call off the search for Jay Slater by the Spanish authorities, a former UK police officer has suggested that the teenager may not be missing in the traditional sense.

On Sunday (June 30), the search for the 19-year-old British teenager - who was first reported missing in Tenerife on June 17 - was been officially called off by Tenerife's Guardia Civil.

The decision was confirmed by a spokesperson for the Civil Guard, who told press: "The search operation is over. Yesterday marked the final day of the search."

Jay Slater - from Lancashire - disappeared after attending the NRG music festival in Playa de las Americas the night before his appearance.

His last known communication was a photo tagged on Snapchat at 07:30AM on June 17, showing him at an Airbnb in Masca, reportedly rented by two British men he met while on vacation.

He also made two phone calls to his friends - Lucy Mae Law and Brad Hargreaves - shortly after 8:00AM that morning, informing them that he was lost, thirsty, and was attempting to walk back to their shared accommodation. This walk would have taken him around 10 hours.

The search efforts involved extensive resources, including helicopters, trained search dogs, and drones, deployed by Spanish authorities in the rugged terrain near the village of Masca, within the Rural de Teno national park.

This was the area where Jay's phone was last tracked before its battery died.

Despite these efforts, no significant clues were found regarding his whereabouts.

Rachel Hargreaves - a family friend currently on the island to support Jay's family - expressed determination to continue searching independently, as she the Telegraph: “Nothing has changed. We will continue to search for him."

Per BBC News, she has also mentioned plans to meet with Spanish authorities on Monday (July 1) to discuss further investigative steps.

It comes after a "massive search" was conducted on Saturday (July 29) focused on areas around Masca, previously explored but now expanded with the assistance of volunteers experienced in mountain rescue.

However, the turnout of just six volunteers highlighted challenges in organizing a comprehensive search without official coordination. The following day, authorities announced that the search has been called off.

Now, a retired Scotland Yard officer has shared his thoughts on what could have possibly happened to Jay - suggesting that he may not be missing.

Graham Wettone, who served the Metropolitan police for 30 years, has not only urged the Spanish Civil Guard to accept an "vital" offer of help from British police, but has also shared his own theories.

"I've been following this case closely and discussing it with colleagues and it's certainly a very bizarre one, lots of things just don't add up," Wettone told the MailOnline.

He adds that the Civil Guard should "start again from the beginning and speak to all the witnesses again", including the two men Jay spent the night with prior to his disappearance.

"My gut feeling is that many of them may not be telling the truth," the ex-cop said

Spanish authorities announced on Saturday (July 29) that the two men are no longer relevant to their investigation.

"[Spanish police] seem to be focusing primarily on the fact that they were told he wandered off into the mountain, but we are now almost two weeks in, and nothing has been found up there," Wettone said.

The former officer suggests that investigators look into the day's leading up to Jay's disappearance - such as his banking activity - and look for "anything untoward in the hours before he went missing".

Wettone then asked: "Was there anything sinister and untoward there, that would have made him go off with these two men? Is there anything in his past that needs looking at more fully?"

He adds that he feels there has been too much focus on the mountain search - and hopes that investigators are looking "at other avenues and those include criminality."

Jay's best friend, Brad Hargreaves, recalled his last contact with Jay, describing a video call where Jay appeared disoriented and off the designated path in the Rural de Teno Park.

"He's gone off and rang me walking down the mountain," Brad shared in an interview with ITV's This Morning. "Next thing you know his phone dies and it's 10 days on now and nothing since."

During the interview, Brad revealed that he heard jay "slip" and knew that he was walking "off-road".

The community response has been overwhelming, with a GoFundMe campaign titled "Get Jay Slater Home" raising over £45,000. These funds are intended to support ongoing search efforts and aid local rescue teams involved in the operation.

Debbie Duncan, Jay Slater's mother, who traveled to Tenerife to support the search, expressed gratitude for the support received.

"I would like to thank everyone for your support, kind messages, and good wishes. It’s difficult to wrap our heads around what is happening right now, but we are not losing hope that we will find Jay and return home together," the worried mom wrote in an update on the page.

Speaking about her son, she told BBC in a previous interview. "He's just an all-round nice, bubbly guy with hundreds of friends who love being in his company."

While the formal search has been suspended, Spanish authorities confirmed the case remains open with several lines of investigation. The Slater family continues to hold hope for Jay's safe return, appealing for any information that could lead to finding him.

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