Despite Spanish authorities calling off the search for Jay Slater, a private investigator believes that he could still be out there.
.jpeg_IzTkO0?tr=w-986,cr-0.0.986.1420&config=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)
Slater, a 19-year-old from Oswaldtwistle near Blackburn, Lancashire, went missing in Tenerife on June 17.
Slater vanished after a rave in the resort of Playa de las Américas, opting to stay out with two British men he had met, rather than returning to his accommodation.
The next morning, he called his friends, Lucy Mae Law and Brad Hargreaves, saying he was lost, thirsty, and trying to walk back to their holiday apartment - a journey estimated to take around 10 hours.
His phone died shortly after the call, with its last known location near the village of Masca in the mountainous Rural de Teno Park area, which became the focus of search efforts.
Despite extensive searches for the 19-year-old, a "well-placed source" indicated to the Manchester Evening News: "The daily operation which has been going on in and around Masca close to where Jay was last seen has been brought to an end.
"If any information comes in that merits a new search though it will be acted upon."
However, Juan García, an army reservist and private investigator, believes it is too early to give up hope. He believes Slater could still be alive and has his own theory on how he may have managed to survive.
"Two weeks is too premature to end the search," García told The Times.
He added: "[Jay] could be alive somewhere — someone can drink from rainwater and eat plants. The family should not give up hope."
García, 53, mentioned he had "spoken directly to the family and offered my advice."
García previously told Sky News: "I think for myself, if something happened to one of my sons… I would like people to help me to solve this case.
"Sometimes, even with only the police, it's hard because this is a very difficult area and you need a lot of experience walking. [There are] a lot of bushes and it's very hard to walk and even in a few kilometers it takes a lot of time and it's not so easy."
Slater's mom, Debbie Duncan, has now shared how the money raised as a result of a GoFundMe campaign for her family will be spent as the search for her son ended.
.jpeg_TLJ45i?tr=w-1024,cr-0.0.1024.1413&config=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)
"The remaining funds will continue to be used to support the rescue teams who are tirelessly searching for Jay as well as our own expenses as we remain in Tenerife looking for our boy," she said.
"We will continue to keep you all updated on the progress on our GoFundMe page, and we thank you for your continued support. Please keep sharing and supporting our fundraiser to help us bring Jay home."
.jpg_jQaeK2?tr=h-40)
.jpg_EK1U29?tr=h-40)
.jpg_jQaeK2?tr=h-184)
.jpg_EK1U29?tr=h-184)
