British teenager Jay Slater has been missing in Tenerife for over a week, prompting a massive search and rescue mission on the Spanish Island.
The 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire is believed to have disappeared while trying to make his way home from a rave during a holiday with friends.
There has also been a GoFundMe campaign set up by Jay’s friend Lucy Law – the last person to hear from him. It has so far raised over £33,000 but Jay’s mum Debbie Duncan said they have not withdrawn any of it yet.
She said: “We have not yet withdrawn any funds and are currently covering the expenses, such as the trip to Tenerife and accommodation, ourselves. The funds will remain on hold with GoFundMe until we post a further update on this page.”
Sunday, June 17
In the evening, Jay went to the NRG (New Rave Generation) music festival with his friend and the last person to hear from him, Lucy Law. At 8:35pm, he posted a video of him and his friends at the rave in the southwest of the island on Snapchat.
Lucy ended up leaving early but Jay stayed on after making friends with two other Brits and left with them at some point between Sunday night and Monday morning.
Monday, June 18
Jay continued to party at their Airbnb near Masca in the Teno Rural Park, posting another Snapchat at 7:30am before trying to get the bus back to Los Cristianos, where he was staying.
The last known sighting of Jay was by the owner of the Airbnb, who said: “He was alone. He was walking normally, though he was walking fast.”
The teen attempted to walk back, likely unaware that it would take 10 hours. He then phoned Lucy at 8:30am saying he was lost in the “middle of nowhere” and was in desperate need of water after walking for half an hour.
The call cut out and a missing persons report was filed at 9am, prompting a mammoth search with drones, sniffer dogs, and a helicopter. Lucy helped with the frantic search after a woman offered to drive her around the area.
Tuesday, June 18
Jay’s mum Debbie Duncan was informed of her son’s disappearance at around 2am, prompting her to fly out to Tenerife with Jay’s older brother Zak at 7am.
Debbie later revealed that she had been receiving prank calls from people claiming to have taken her son, and her partner said he believed Jay had just taken a wrong turn on his walk back.
Wednesday, June 19
Police investigated a false sighting of Jay in Los Christianos, forcing the search to mouth south before heading back to Masca further north. His hotel room was also searched but nothing suspicious was found, just his passport, money, and clothes.
Debbie said she was experiencing an absolute “living nightmare” and pleaded for her “baby back”, while Lucy called Jay’s disappearance “suspicious and weird”.
Saturday, June 22
An unconfirmed sighting of Jay was reported in the village of Santiago del Teide, roughly 3.5 miles away from Masca, by a witness who claimed they saw him and two men on a bench outside a church at around 6pm on Monday – nine hours after the missing persons report was filed. Jay’s dad, Warren Slater, then visited the search area.
Sunday, June 23
Search teams focussed on outbuildings in Masca, a journalist who worked on the Madeline McCann case offered to help, and the GoFundMe set up by Lucy surpassed £30,000 in donations.
Monday, June 24
Jay’s family shared a screenshot of CCTV footage that showed a figure walking past the church from the reported sighting in Santiago del Teide. Debbie said: “I really hope I am not taking my son home in a body bag.”
Warren told The Sun: “I just want him to be found. I just want my son back, end of. What more is it’s been a week now, a week of nothing. So somebody somewhere must’ve found out something. Somebody.
“It is a living hell, unless you’re going through it, you cannot explain. Please, please please, if anybody knows anything just come forward and help us.”