UK
Jay Slater: British teenager missing in Tenerife – what we know so far
A teenager from Lancashire has been missing on the Spanish island of Tenerife since Monday morning.
Jay Slater’s mother, a team of mountain rescuers, and the local civil guard are searching for the 19-year-old after he disappeared while holidaying with friends.
The last person to speak to him says he told her he was lost and nearly out of phone battery at around 8.15am local time on Monday.
Here’s what we know so far.
‘Ended up in the middle of nowhere’
Mr Slater, from Oswaldtwistle, near Blackburn, was last seen by friends on a night out in Tenerife on Sunday evening, having been to the NRG music festival.
The last person to speak to him was his friend Lucy, who claims he called her on Monday morning to say he had got lost, was in need of water, and only had 1% charge on his phone.
His phone’s last live location was Rural de Teno Park. The search is also focused on Los Cristianos
She told the Manchester Evening News that someone Mr Slater had met on his night out had driven him back to their apartment in a hire car without him realising how far away it was.
“He’s ended up out in the middle of nowhere. Jay was obviously thinking he would be able to get home from there,” she told the newspaper.
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Lucy says that during the short phone call, he claimed he had missed a bus trying to get back to his holiday accommodation so was attempting to walk instead – a journey that would take 11 hours.
His phone then cut out, with his last live location showing as the Rural de Teno park – a mountainous area popular with hikers.
Mr Slater’s stepfather Andy Watson told The Sun his stepson is “no mug” and “very streetwise”, but that he may have lost his bearings while it was dark.
Masca, Rural de Teno park, Tenerife. Pic: iStock
What are the authorities saying?
Local police say they have employed a specialist mountain rescue team, including a police helicopter, to look for Mr Slater.
A spokesperson for the Civil Guard said it was “focusing on the area around the village of Masca”.
The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said in a statement: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has been reported missing in Spain and are in contact with the local authorities.”
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Mr Slater’s family has set up a Facebook group to help review aerial images, CCTV, and social media footage to help find him.
A missing person’s poster says Mr Slater was last seen wearing a white t-shirt, shorts, trainers, and carrying a black bag.
What’s the link to Coronation Street?
Coronation Street star Vicky Entwistle, best known for her role as Janice Battersby on the soap, is the goddaughter of Mr Slater’s grandmother.
She posted on X on Tuesday: “My God Mother’s Grandson has gone missing. His mother has flown out 7pm. To join the police search. Hope to God they find him. Please [pray] for him.”
Vicky Entwistle. Pic: PA
Mr Slater’s mother Debbie Duncan flew out to the island on Tuesday.
She said: “It’s just traumatic and it doesn’t feel real. It’s just awful, it’s horrendous.
“I think he’s been taken against his will with what’s been said, but it’s in the hands of the police.”
She said of her son: “He’s just a great person who everyone wanted to be with. He’s good looking, he’s a popular boy.”
She added that the police leading the search had been “very good”.