Jay Slater’s family open up on ‘despair’ in fresh plea on ‘desperate’ search for missing teen
Jay Slater’s family have opened up on their ‘despair’ in a fresh plea.
The Lancashire lad’s family have vowed to continue their ‘desperate’ search for the missing teen in Tenerife.
It’s now been over three weeks since the 19-year-old went missing on 17 June after attending the New Rave Generation festival on the Spanish island.
He was last seen after leaving an Airbnb which he went back to with people he'd met. With no sign of a bus showing up, it’s said Jay decided to start the 11-hour walk back to his accommodation.
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The lad was last heard from that morning on a call to his friend before his phone is said to have died.
Police called off its official search on 30 June with investigations ongoing but the family have continued to search for the lad, with volunteers flying over to Tenerife to help.
Jay’s uncle Glen Duncan has said the family feel like they’ve been left to their own devices as they go about on foot looking for the teen.
He described their situation as ‘just desperate – despair’ and when asked if they wanted help from police in the UK, he told Sky News: “We would love that, it's just not as simple as that.
"So far we've just been in touch with the British consulate out here who have been saying it's still a live investigation, we have just got to sit tight.
"It's just adding to the despair really."
Glen added that the family haven’t lost hope in finding Jay and won’t stop until they do.
“We're going to have to be doing something because otherwise you're just sitting in the apartment staring at the same four walls,” the uncle said.
Jay’s mum, Debbie Duncan, previously shared an update as the family’s GoFundMe page surpassed £50,000 in donations.
“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. 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."
She also explained that they needed to obtain permission from the Spanish authorities as the family have been contacted by experienced groups who can support the search.
Jay Slater's disappearance: timeline of key moments
Sunday 16 June
Jay attends the New Rave Generation music festival with friends at Papagayo nightclub in the tourist resort of Playa de las Americas in the south of Tenerife.
Monday 17 June
In the early hours of Monday, Jay goes to stay in an apartment in the north of the island with people he had met on a night out.
7.30am
Jay posts a picture on Snapchat from the doorway of the property he stayed at overnight, tagged as being in Rural de Teno park.
8.30am
He calls his friend, Lucy Law, telling her he had attempted to walk back to his accommodation after missing his bus – a journey that would take more than ten hours.
He said he had 'cut his leg' on a cactus and had 'no idea where he was'.
He added that his phone was on one percent battery. His last known location is Rural de Teno park.
9.04am
He is reported missing.
Tuesday 18 June
After friends spend the previous day searching to no avail, local police and mountain rescue teams scour Rural de Teno park for Jay.
His family fly out to Tenerife to join the search.
Wednesday 19 June
The search is temporarily moved to the Los Cristianos area in the south of the island due to a potential lead, but this amounts to nothing and the search returns north.
Jay’s mum Debbie Duncan says she fears her son had 'been taken against his will'.
Sunday 23 June
TV detective Mark Williams-Thomas offers his team's expertise in the search for Jay. He writes on X: "If [Jay's family] give me total access and with feet on the ground I will very quickly be able to say if his disappearance is him alone or if it has third party involvement."
Sunday 30 June
The Tenerife Civil Guard announce they are ending the search for Jay after 13 days, but the investigation remains open and they will follow up any new leads. Jay's family vow to continue the search themselves.
Topics: Jay Slater, UK News
Jess Battison