The search for missing teen Jay Slater continues in Tenerife. Learn about the timeline of his disappearance and the latest updates on the ongoing search efforts.
Bollywood Fever: It has now been nearly three days since 19-year-old Jay Slater was last heard from in Tenerife. The apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle was on holiday with friends for the NRG Tenerife Weekender festival when he went missing.
Jay’s friend, Lucy Mae, received a call from him on Monday morning, stating that he was attempting a long walk back through a mountainous area after spending the night with other friends. He mentioned he was thirsty and had only 1% battery left on his phone, which died shortly afterward. Search teams have since focused their efforts on two parts of the island after receiving a false sighting.
As the search enters its fourth day, here is a comprehensive timeline of Jay’s disappearance and the ongoing efforts to find him.
Timeline:
Sunday, June 16th: Jay attends the NRG Tenerife Weekender festival with friends.
Sunday evening: Jay sends a Snapchat to a relative near Arona, Tenerife.
Monday, June 17th, 8:00 AM: Jay’s friend Lucy receives a call from him. He claims he is trying to walk home after staying out the night before, mentions he is thirsty, and has 1% battery. His location is traced near the village of Masca in Rural de Teno.
8:50 AM: Jay’s phone dies.
9:04 AM: Jay is officially reported missing to the police.
Tuesday, 2:00 AM: Jay’s mother, Debbie Duncan, is woken by police at her home in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, informing her that her son has been reported missing and that she needs to go to Tenerife.
11:35 AM: Debbie lands in Tenerife with Jay’s brother, Zak, to help with the search. Shortly after arriving, she receives a Snapchat from someone telling her to “say goodbye to your boy” and calls from people claiming to have her son. A Facebook group is set up by loved ones to aid the search.
Wednesday, 12:30 PM: The Civil Guard confirms they have shifted search efforts to the south of the island around the tourist areas of Los Cristianos and Playa de Las Americas after reports of a sighting.
Wednesday afternoon: Police resume their search in the mountains after determining the sighting was a false lead.
Lucy Mae told the Manchester Evening News that Jay had gone back to a friend’s apartment in their hire car on Sunday night, not realizing how far away it was, and ended up “in the middle of nowhere.” The journey on foot is around 10 to 11 hours, with temperatures on Monday reaching the high 20s.
The Civil Guard has deployed a helicopter and dogs to aid in the search, focusing on the village of Masca. This was halted on Wednesday following a false lead in Los Cristianos. Lucy responded, “Someone has given a false lead to the police saying he’s rang a taxi down to Los Cristianos. If this was the case, he would have called his mum or one of us. I know him well, and he would NOT have us worrying. Someone is trying to deter the police from him being up there. I’m starting to think he’s been kidnapped.”
Officers have searched the room Jay was sharing with a friend at a three-star apartment complex in Los Cristianos. Jay’s concerned mother, Debbie Duncan, now joined in Tenerife by Jay’s father, Warren, said she has his passport and does not expect him to reappear and turn up for his flight home.
The search continues as authorities and loved ones remain hopeful for Jay’s safe return.
Also Read, Leah Croucher’s Tragic Death Linked to Failures in Monitoring Sex Offender, Says Coroner
Woman Awarded £217,000 in Damages After Suing Therapist for Rape
