Jay Slater's family launch GoFundMe - thousands raised already

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By Nasima Khatun

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Jay Slater's family has launched a GoFundMe page amid the search for the missing teenager.

Screenshot 2024-06-19 at 20.34.24.jpgJay Slater wearing the shirt he believed to have disappeared in. Credit: Instagram

It was reported that the 19-year-old from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, UK, went missing on the island of Tenerife on Monday (June 17) after he had been vacationing with friends.

The teen was said to be attending the New Rave Generation music festival when he decided to stay out with people he'd met on Sunday evening.

However, the next morning at approximately 8:15AM, his friend Lucy Mae Law, received what she described to be a "concerning" phone call from Jay in which he stated that he was lost and his phone battery was on 1 percent.

He also added that he was extremely thirsty.


Less than an hour later, the 19-year-old was reported missing and his family was contacted. Jay's mom and brother immediately flew out to the island in order to aid the authorities after a search party was deployed to the area.

Speaking to ITV News, the teen's mom, Debbie, said that she was living in a "nightmare" right now.

"I was loving that he was going and saying you'll love it, you'll come back and you'll want to go again," she said. "Now I just wish I hadn't encouraged him to go."

Jay was last seen "in the middle of mountains with nothing around" as he attempted to walk home to his holiday apartment.

Debbie noted: "There was a main road, there's bus stops there, there's cafes, its a hiking route, there's people about, people must have seen him. And if people haven't seen him, someone must have taken him.

"It's over 48 hours now since he last had any contact with anybody. He's out there somewhere or somebody knows where he is," she said before concluding: "We just need to find my baby."


As the search enters its fourth day, dozens of locals and volunteers have joined the search for Jay, as local authorities are utilizing search dogs, rescue teams, helicopters, and drones in an effort to locate the missing teen.

In the wake of the search, Jay's loved ones have set up a GoFundMe account in order to raise some funds to aid in the family's search.

Screenshot 2024-06-20 at 14.37.11.pngCredit: GoFundMe

After describing the details of the incident in the description, Lucy added: "The weather conditions up there are terrible for someone in shorts & a t-shirt, both in the day & at night."

She continued: "He has no water for when it’s warm through out the day, and he has no coat/suitable clothing for when it’s cold at night. It was 1 degree and extremely windy when I was out looking in the middle of the night We are all so worried and we just want him home. Please help if you can and share far and wide. Thank you for reading."

So far the fundraiser has managed to rack up just over £18,000 (approximately $23,000 USD) as the search for the teenager continues.

Featured Image Credit: Instagram