Search in area of Tenerife for Jay Slater called off by Spanish authorities

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By James Kay

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The "massive search" for British teenager Jay Slater in Tenerife has been called off, according to police.

jayslater2 (1).jpegCredit: Facebook

Jay Slater, 19, from Oswaldtwistle near Blackburn, Lancashire, has been missing since June 17 after disappearing the morning following a rave.

Instead of returning to his accommodation, Jay chose to stay out with two British men he met at the resort of Playa de las Américas.

The following morning, Jay called his friends, Lucy Mae Law and Brad Hargreaves, stating he was lost, thirsty, and attempting to walk back to their holiday apartment - a journey that would have taken around 10 hours.

jayslater (1).jpegCredit: Instagram

His phone died shortly after, with its last tracked location near the village of Masca in the mountainous Rural de Teno Park area, the focal point of the search efforts.

On Friday, the Spanish Civil Guard announced a "busqueda masiva" or "massive search" for Jay, appealing for volunteers to join rescue teams.

Prior to the search, Angel Sanz Coronado, the police chief of the Civil Guard in Tenerife, explained the challenges of the search area: "Given that it is a steep, rocky area, full of uneven terrain and with many ravines, tracks, and trails, we request the collaboration of all those volunteer associations that can help in this planned search that is intended to be carried out in a directed and coordinated way.

"This massive search will begin on Saturday, 29 June at 09:00 hours. A meeting point will be established at the Mirador de la Cruz de Hilda in Masca to start the search in a logical and orderly way along the many paths and ravines that are found in Masca."


The Civil Guard has now confirmed that the search for Jay has ended, but they are keeping the investigation open, per Sky News.

Per the Manchester Evening News, a Civil Guard spokeswoman said on Sunday (June 30): “The search operation has now finished although the case remains open."

The outlet adds that 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."

The teen's parents have reportedly been informed.


Additionally, the "well-placed source" claimed that "nothing of note" was found during Saturday's search.

Among the volunteers to take part in the search on Saturday was experienced hiker Juan Garcia, accompanied by his sniffer dog. Garcia 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."

Screenshot2024-06-22at09.49.57 (2).jpegJay Slater's final Snapchat taken outside of the Airbnb. Credit: Snapchat

Per the BBC, Brigadier Cipriano Martin, Chief of the Guardia Civil's Mountain Rescue unit said regarding the search: "There are difficult areas and we've given instructions for people not to risk their own safety.

"But there's something we need to make clear, which is any area we don't go to, well, Jay won't have gone there either."

Featured image credit: Instagram