For the 11th consecutive day, the search has continued to find Jay Slater, a 19-year-old British tourist who disappeared on June 17th in the village of Masca in the northwest of Tenerife, according to official sources from the Guardia Civil.
Various units are conducting extensive and repeated sweeps through the ravines, paths, and trails of the rugged terrain, both on foot with agents from the Special Mountain Rescue Intervention Group (GREIM), and from the air with drones and helicopters.
These operations have now been joined by canine units from the Guard Civil’s Cinological Service in Madrid, which specialise in the search for missing persons. They are trained to search large areas on land in such environments.
The search operation begins at the first light of day and concludes at dusk when the lack of sunlight makes further searching impractical. The Guardia Civil maintains that “all hypotheses are open” and that this is a missing person case.
The search is focused on the Masca valley and various steep ravines surrounding the municipality of Buenavista del Norte which includes the Teno Rural Park.
British media have widely covered the case, broadcasting videos of Jay dancing in a nightclub the night before his disappearance, and images of the holiday home he went to with two men he allegedly met there. They are also British tourists who have been questioned by the police, but have now returned to the UK, although the police have copies of their whereabouts and know their location.
The following day, Jay called one of his friends, stating he was unsure of his location, was very thirsty, and had missed the bus back to his rented apartment. He also mentioned that his phone battery was at just 1% before the call abruptly ended. When his friends could not reach him, they reported him missing. Jay’s family has travelled to the island to be close to the search efforts.
The area where Jay disappeared is remote and rugged but also a popular tourist destination for hikers and tours. The ongoing search reflects the challenging conditions and the commitment of all involved to find him. Further updates will follow as the search continues.
