Authorities in Tenerife are growing increasingly concerned about the fate of 19-year-old Jay Slater, who disappeared 11 days ago. Continuing their intensive search, police have explained why the chances of finding him alive are slim.
Jay was last seen heading to Masca after attending a rave that ended in the early hours of June 17. He shared a final Snapchat from an Airbnb at 7:30AM before attempting to return to his holiday accommodation, an 11-hour walk away.
At around 8:50AM, he made a desperate call to his friend Lucy, saying he was lost in the "middle of nowhere" with no water and only one percent battery left on his phone.
The massive search operation, which includes helicopters, drones, and sniffer dogs, has so far yielded no results. Rescuers are concentrating their efforts on the 2,000-foot Masca ravine, where Jay's phone last connected to a cell tower.
The Civil Guard, leading the search near the village of Masca where Jay was last seen, remains committed to the effort. More sniffer dogs, trained for large-scale searches, have been brought in from Madrid to assist in the operation, which continues at full force.
A spokesperson stated: “The Civil Guard is continuing to search for the young British man who disappeared, carrying out inspections of all the paths, trails, and ravines belonging to the village of Masca within the municipality of Buenavista del Norte."
They also released footage showing officers navigating the challenging terrain on foot, while others conducted aerial inspections by helicopter.
Per The Sun, an insider has explained why it is unlikely Jay will be found alive: “No one at the moment is talking about the search being brought to an end, even though it’s very unlikely Jay has survived if he got lost in the mountains in the way we were told he did.
“There will be a point when the operation that’s taking place at the moment has to at least be scaled back, but right now the search teams appear to have decided they want to give themselves more time.”
Local resident Anita commented on the challenges of the search, warning that it can take "months" to find a missing person in Tenerife. She noted that tourists often vanish in the mountains, which are notoriously difficult to search.
This incident comes amid reports of a rising number of disappearances in Tenerife. Authorities were alerted two years ago about the need for better resources. Jay is one of 11 people who have gone missing in the area over the past six months.
Santiago Carlos Martín, coordinator of SOS Disappeared in Tenerife, highlighted the emotional toll on families, saying “families feel abandoned” during the search for their loved ones.
Martín, who leads a team of around 40 volunteers, has called for multidisciplinary teams to be on standby to aid in searches. These teams would include police, emergency workers, health experts, psychologists, and other professionals to provide a comprehensive response.
According to data from the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, between 2020 and 2023, at least 460 adults went missing in the Canary Islands, which has a population of just 2.2 million. This region has the second-highest number of missing persons in Spain, behind Andalucia.
Despite the daunting circumstances, Jay’s mother has praised the ongoing efforts of the search teams and urged the public to keep her son in their prayers. She told Sky News: "I have every faith in them down on the ground and the amazing searches they are carrying out along with more amazing guys up there. As a family we are in a living nightmare. We have no further updates other than Jay is still missing, and we are just ignoring the social media side of things."
Debbie announced this week she would be withdrawing some of the £36,000 raised through donations to support the ongoing search. She stated that the funds would be used to bring over loved ones and support the mountain rescue teams, as well as cover accommodation and food for her family.
She wrote on the GoFundMe page: "We are currently working with GoFundMe to withdraw part of the funds, which are being safely held. I wanted to share that these funds will be used to support the mountain rescue teams who are tirelessly searching for Jay."
