Jay Slater’s mom has issued a statement as she continues to search for her missing son in Tenerife.
(1).jpeg_7eofTs?tr=w-1024,cr-0.0.1024.1475&config=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)
Slater, 19, went missing in Tenerife on June 17 after attending the NRG music festival.
The teen was seen partying at the the Papagayo nightclub the night before he vanished, but questions remain as to why he left the nightclub with two older men, embarking on a journey by car to the remote village of Masca, instead of returning to his accommodation with friends in nearby Los Cristianos.
Despite Masca’s association with his disappearance, the village continues to attract visitors.
Tourists navigate the hairpin bends leading to Masca to enjoy breathtaking views, walk trails, or visit small cafes.
Ofelia Medina Hernandez, who runs a cafe above the Airbnb where Slater stayed, told Sky News that Slater has inquired about catching a bus back to Los Cristianos, but missed it and would have had to have waited two hours for the next one.
According to his friend Lucy Law, he tried to walk back – a journey that would have taken him around 11 hours.
With the search for Slater entering its fourth week with still no sign of him, Debbie Duncan – his concerned mother – extended her thanks to a local hiking group and other volunteers who continue to search for her son.
.jpeg_et7uzG?tr=w-1024,cr-0.0.1024.1413&config=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)
In a recent update on their GoFundMe page, which has raised over £50,000, Duncan shared: “We have been overwhelmed by the kindness and support we have received and would like to thank the local hiking group for all of their help planning the routes to find our Jay.”
She continued: “We have been contacted by a wonderful group of locals who have volunteered to continue the search. While they don’t wish to accept financial help for their search, we will be supporting them with supplies and are so grateful for their willingness to help.”
Duncan went on: “We also continue to be contacted by experienced groups offering to support our search. We are busy talking to them about what they can do to assist. But in order for us to employ their help, they need to have permission from the Spanish authorities.”
Earlier this week, Duncan spoke about the immense pain the family is enduring.
“Words cannot describe the pain and agony we are experiencing,” she said via the BBC. “He is our beautiful boy with his whole life ahead of him and we just want to find him.”
On Saturday, Slater’s father Warren, brother Zak, and uncle Glen Duncan, along with a local hiking group, searched Barranco Juan Lopez, the gorge where Slater’s phone was last located.
.jpeg_vHdRQe?tr=w-1024,cr-0.0.1024.983&config=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)
Glen described the conditions as “treacherous,” saying: “It’s so easy to get lost down there. You can’t see anybody. I got to a point where I wasn’t even looking for my nephew anymore but trying to find my way out to safety.”
Tenerife police, who say the investigation is ongoing, have faced criticism for abandoning the search and not providing enough information to Slater’s family.
Santiago Carlos Martin from SOS Desaparecidos in Tenerife noted that the publicity around Slater’s case brought more resources than usual, highlighting that there are currently 82 missing people in the Canary Islands, including 50 on Tenerife.
