A journalist who retraced Jay Slater's final steps has raised some questions about the teen's final movements.
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Jay went missing on June 17 on the Spanish Island of Tenerife while attending the NRG Music Festival with his friends.
After those he was with opted to go back to their accommodation, Jay decided to go to Masca, a remote part of the island, with two British men he had met while on vacation.
The following morning, Jay called friend Lucy Mae Law to tell her that he was thirsty, his battery was on one percent and that he was going to start the 10-hour walk back.
Sadly, Jay never arrived at the accommodation and a large scale search ensued to try to find him.
After nearly a month of searching, human remains were found on July 15 that have since been confirmed to be Jay.
His body was located in an “inaccessible” ravine near where his phone last pinged.
Amidst the mystery and unanswered questions, many wonder why Jay left without charging his phone or waiting for the bus that was supposed to come.
However, journalist Fred Kelly, who retraced Jay's final steps, finds an even more perplexing question.
Writing for MailOnline, Kelly stated: “Perhaps most puzzling of all, it remains a mystery why Jay - on the way back to his accommodation at around 8am - chose to leave the tarmac road and head cross-country down towards the sea.
“Having walked extensively in Jay's footsteps down the ravine where his body was found, I know just how difficult the terrain is.”
Kelly noted that the volcanic rock “crumbles immediately” when stepped on, making every step “a hazard.”
Adding to the danger, he mentioned that when the instinct to grab onto something kicks in during a slip, there’s only “prickly cacti or thin air” to hold onto.
“In the penultimate phone call Jay made during his ill-fated trek, he told Lucy that he had slashed his leg on a cactus,” Kelly continued.
“The question one cannot help but ask is, why did he not turn back in the face of such danger?”
Locals in the Canary Islands have also expressed confusion over Jay’s decision to stray off the path.
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Helena Gomes, 35, said via the Daily Star: “You see how bad it is, we don’t even walk there, so if someone gets into trouble it is going to be hard for anyone to find the body.
"Why he was there is a mystery, he should never have been going that way, maybe he saw the ocean and thought it was the best way.”
Our thoughts remain with Jay's loved ones at this difficult time.
