The search for a British teenager who went missing after a night out in Tenerife has entered a sixth day.
Jay Slater, from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, travelled to the Spanish island for a music festival on his first holiday without his parents.
But the 19-year-old has not been heard from since he called a friend shortly before 09:00 BST on Monday, saying he was lost and needed water.
Lancashire Police said on Friday that it had offered to support officers on the Canary island in their efforts to locate Mr Slater – but added that their counterparts were “satisfied that they have the resources they need”.
- Author, Nick Garnett
- Role, BBC News
- Reporting from Tenerife
The apprentice bricklayer’s last known location was on a path in the mountainous terrain of the Rural de Teno national park.
Mr Slater’s friends and family have said he had earlier left the group he travelled with in the tourist hotspot of Playa de las Americas, on the south of the island.
After leaving NRG music festival at Papagayo night club, he got into a car with two men he met to drive to the national park in north-west Tenerife.
On Friday, search teams appeared to be methodically scouring a mountain road and focused on a ravine – before moving to a valley in the village of Masca.
Dog teams were scouring an area near farm buildings for much of the day, while police and mountain rescue officials examined a steep patch of land behind the apartment Mr Slater had reportedly been driven to.
The operation carefully combed through dead palm trees covering a river at the bottom of the hillside near to the property.
Investigators have been taking away bags of rubbish from the area to try and find any clues, but have not had any leads so far.
The apartment owner told reporters she saw Mr Slater walk up the road past her property but did not see him again after that – describing the situation as “worrying”.
In a statement, Lancashire Police said it had “made an offer of support to the Guardia Civil to see if they need any additional resources”.
The British force said the Spanish police had confirmed “at this time they are satisfied that they have the resources they need, but that offer remains open and they will contact us should that position change.”
It added: “Our thoughts remain with Jay’s family and friends at this distressing time.”
Mr Slater was on his first holiday without family and had travelled to attend the festival with two friends.
Lucy Law, thought to have been the last person to speak to him, said he told her in their call that he had missed a bus and decided to walk the 10-hour journey home but was lost, needed water and his phone was on 1% battery.
The Rural de Teno is about a 40-minute drive from where Mr Slater and his friends were staying.
A remote and wild national park, it is a world away from Los Cristianos and Playa de las Americas, the party town holiday resorts of the island’s south coast.
Deep ravines and huge daunting mountains make the national park a difficult place for the Spanish search teams to navigate.
At night, the countryside becomes a maze, pitch black and disorientating.
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has been reported missing in Spain and are in contact with the local authorities.”
What we know so far
- Sunday 16 June – Jay Slater and friends attend final day of the NRG music festival at Papagayo night club in the tourist hotspot of Playa de las Americas
- Monday 17 June – Between 03:00 and 06:00 BST Mr Slater got into a car with two men he had met during the holiday and left Playa de las Americas
- 07:30 – Mr Slater posts a photograph on his Snapchat account showing him at the doorway of a property, tagged with the location Parque Rural de Teno
- Between 08:30 and 09:00 – Mr Slater calls his friend and says he missed a bus back south and was attempting to walk the 10-hour journey
- The call cuts out, with his phone’s last location showing a path in the mountainous Rural de Teno national park, popular with hikers
- Tuesday 18 June – Despite his friends searching the area, no sign of Mr Slater emerges and he does not return to his accommodation
- Local police and mountain rescue teams begin searching and his mother and brother board a flight to Tenerife
- Wednesday 19 June – The Spanish Guardia Civil continue the search using drones, dogs and a helicopter but no trace is found
- The search is briefly moved to the Los Cristianos area in the south of the island due to a potential sighting, but police quickly “discount” that lead and move the search back to the original area.
- Thursday 20 June – The Guardia Civil, mountain rescue, firefighters and volunteers return to scour the national park
- Friday 21 June – Lancashire Police confirms it has offered to help the search but says Spanish are “satisfied that they have the resources they need”.
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
