The disappearance of 19-year-old Jay Slater from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire during his holiday in Tenerife has led to an intensive search effort for the last 4 days led by the Guardia Civil. Newly released images show him enjoying himself at a music festival just hours before he vanished, and are believed to be the last known visuals of him before he was last seen on Sunday night.
Jay was seen mingling in the crowd at the festival, with sunglasses perched on his head. He was later seen leaving the event with two British men and heading towards their apartment in Masca, approximately 30 kilometres up the west coast.
This marks the beginning of an alarming sequence of events that has left Jay missing for almost five days now. On Monday morning at 8:50am, he managed to send a message to his friend, Lucy Mae Law, stating that he was in an apartment an hour from the festival location. According to Lucy, Jay sounded lost, dehydrated, and had only 1% battery left on his phone before the communication abruptly ended.
Since then, a large-scale search operation has been launched but has yet to yield any results. The Spanish police are treating Jay's case as a missing person situation rather than a kidnapping.
Lucy Mae Law, grappling with the fear and uncertainty surrounding her friend's disappearance, set up a GoFundMe page to support the search efforts. The campaign has raised around £20,000 out of its £30,000 goal. In her post, Lucy described the frantic call she received from Jay and expressed her deep concern over his well-being.
Jay's mother, Debbie, broke down in tears as she pleaded for anyone with information about her son's whereabouts to come forward. "If anyone has him, please let him go. He is not a bad person," she implored. She described Jay as a joyful and beloved individual.
June Duncan, Jay’s grandmother, voiced her fears about what might have happened to her grandson. Drawing parallels with other missing person cases, she admitted that while trying to stay hopeful, she feels utterly helpless.
A spokesperson for the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office confirmed that they are providing support to Jay’s family and working closely with the Spanish authorities to locate him.
The disappearance of Jay Slater has cast a shadow over what should have been a joyous first holiday abroad with friends, transforming it into a harrowing ordeal for his family and friends. The search continues, with hopes that new leads will emerge soon to bring him home safely.
Continúa el dispositivo de búsqueda del joven británico desaparecido en el barrio de Masca de Buenavista (Tenerife), en la que participan diferentes unidades de la Guardia Civil. pic.twitter.com/U196ywTvZT
— Guardia Civil (@guardiacivil) June 20, 2024
