Jay Slater remains missing in Tenerife, ten days after a desperate call to his friend Lucy Law ended abruptly.
Jay, 19, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, told Lucy he was disoriented and needed water before his phone died.
Despite an extensive search involving helicopters, drones, and sniffer dogs scouring the rural parts of the island, Spanish authorities have yet to find any trace of him.
Jay had been enjoying a three-day music festival in Tenerife with his friends Lucy and Brad. After the festival, he left with two British men he had met during a night out, returning with them to their Airbnb near the rural village of Masca.
The next morning, on Monday, June 17, he vanished. Lucy, 18, says she received a call from Jay that morning, in which he said he was lost, needed water, and his phone battery was nearly dead.
Jay's disappearance prompted his mother, Debbie Duncan, to fly to Tenerife, where she expressed her deep concern, believing Jay had been kidnapped. Lucy Mae also suspects Jay is being held against his will.
Who is Lucy Law?
Lucy Mae Law is a close friend of Jay Slater. She traveled with Jay and another friend, Brad, to Tenerife for a three-day music festival. Lucy returned to their hotel alone on Sunday night, feeling exhausted from the weekend. Jay left the festival with two British men and stayed at their Airbnb in a remote area before disappearing.
After reporting Jay missing to Spanish authorities, Lucy launched a GoFundMe campaign titled "Get Jay Slater Home," which has raised over £40,000. The funds are intended to cover travel and accommodation expenses for Jay’s family and friends who flew to Tenerife to assist in the search.
Last Phone Call with Jay Slater
In the last call Jay made to Lucy, he expressed his disorientation, need for water, and mentioned his phone was almost dead. Lucy shared her account on the GoFundMe page: "On the last day of the festival, I left alone, earlier than everyone else, because I was tired from the weekend. I woke up to a phone call off Jay at 8:30AM saying 'he was lost in the mountains, he wasn’t aware of his surroundings, he desperately needed a drink & his phone was on 1%.'
"He had met two people on Sunday night and left with them to go to their apartment. Their apartment was miles away from civilization and in a very secluded location. He left at 8AM, and walked half an hour before frantically ringing me when his phone reached 1%. This was three days ago now, and no one has seen or heard from him since."
Frustration with Spanish Authorities
Lucy Mae Law has voiced her frustration with Spanish authorities, feeling they are not doing enough to find Jay. She told the Mirror, "We need British police here. I just want to find my mate. He's been missing three days. It's not looking good now. We feel as though it's down to us to find him and that we're doing more than the police.
The police here don't speak English and don't even have a translator after three days. I feel like they're fobbing me off. They're still asking me the same questions as when I first reported Jay missing."
Lucy also mentioned that the two men Jay was last seen with have left the country and should be questioned by British police. Standing near a ravine where Jay's phone last 'pinged,' Lucy, who recently completed a course in Travel and Tourism, recounted a local woman's sighting of Jay: "A lady said she last saw Jay at 8AM walking at pace. She said her brother owns the house."
Authorities have not given up on finding Jay. The search operation continues, focusing on the rugged terrain near Masca, where Jay was last known to be.
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