Following the news that Spanish authorities have called off the search for Jay Slater, his loved ones have spoken out and have vowed to continue searching.
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Jay, 19, from Oswaldtwistle near Blackburn, Lancashire, has been missing since June 17. He disappeared the morning after attending a rave with friends on the Spanish island of Tenerife.
Instead of returning to his accommodation, Jay decided to stay out with two British men he had met at the resort of Playa de las Américas.
The following morning, Jay called his friends - Lucy Mae Law and Brad Hargreaves - informing them that he was lost, thirsty, and attempting to walk back to their holiday apartment - a journey estimated to take around 10 hours.
His phone died shortly after, with its last tracked location near the village of Masca in the mountainous Rural de Teno Park area, which became the focal point of the search efforts by rescue teams.
On Friday (June 28), the Spanish Civil Guard announced a "busqueda masiva" - or "massive search" - for Jay, appealing for volunteers to join the rescue teams.
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Sadly, the search - which took place on Saturday - didn't prove fruitful, as only six volunteers turned up and nothing of relevance was found, per reports.
The Civil Guard has now confirmed that the search for Jay has ended, though the investigation remains open, as reported by Sky News.
A Civil Guard spokeswoman told the Manchester Evening News on Sunday, June 30: "The search operation has now finished although the case remains open."
Per the Manchester Evening News, a "well-placed source" has stated: "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."
Despite this news, Jay's family, who traveled to Tenerife to assist in the search, remain undeterred.
Rachel Hargreaves, a close family friend currently in Tenerife, told the Telegraph: “Nothing has changed. We will continue to search for him.”
As reported by the Mirror, Jay's father, Warren Slater, expressed disappointment at the low turnout for the "massive search", saying: “It’s a bit disappointing that there are no British apart from Paul [a TikToker] but I suppose to them he’s just a British lad who’s come out here and got drunk.”
Jay's family has not yet commented on whether they will remain in Tenerife now that the official search has ended.
They had previously vowed to stay until Jay was found, with over £40,000 raised via a GoFundMe page to support their expenses.
In an update shared on the page earlier this week, mom Debbie wrote: "We are currently working with GoFundMe to withdraw part of the funds, which are being safely held," Debbie continued. "I wanted to share that these funds will be used to support the mountain rescue teams who are tirelessly searching for Jay.
"Additionally, since our stay in Tenerife needs to be extended, we will also use the funds to cover accommodation and food expenses.
"I'm surrounded by wonderful people who are by my side, but far from their loved ones, so we'll also be using part of these funds to fly them to Tenerife so we can support each other during these dark times."
The search efforts focused on the rugged terrain surrounding Masca, with police scouring the area from early morning until late evening. Despite thorough examinations, including searches of nearby shacks and caves, no significant clues were found.
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The Guardia Civil even reviewed CCTV footage and investigated reported sightings, but none led to Jay.
Throughout the search, Jay's family faced online speculation and criticism.
Debbie Duncan, Jay’s mother, shared that she had been unfairly compared to Karen Matthews, who infamously faked her daughter's kidnapping.
The Slater family remains committed to finding Jay and continues to appeal for any information that could assist in their search.
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