TENERIFE — A 19-year-old British man, Jay Dean Slater, has gone missing in Tenerife after attending a music festival with friends. Jay, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, was last heard from on Monday morning. He was attempting to walk back to his holiday accommodation after missing a bus, a journey expected to take around 11 hours on foot.
Jay travelled to Tenerife with two friends, Lucy and Brad, to attend the NRG music festival. On Sunday night, Jay decided to stay out with new acquaintances while his friends returned to their apartment with a lift from these new friends. The following morning, Jay attempted to make his way back to the apartment but missed the bus, deciding instead to walk.
Phone call
Lucy received a call from Jay at around 8.15 am on Monday. Jay told her that he was lost, needed water, and had only 1% battery left on his phone. Furthermore, he mentioned he had cut his leg on a cactus. Shortly after, Jay’s phone died, with his last known location showing as the Rural de Teno park, a mountainous area popular with hikers.
Search operation
Jay’s disappearance has prompted a large-scale search operation. His mother, Debbie, flew to Tenerife on Tuesday morning to assist in the search efforts. Speaking to the Daily Mail, Debbie expressed her distress, saying, “I’m obviously beside myself with worry which is why I’ve flown out here with my eldest son to do anything we can to help.”
The Guardia Civil, along with a specialist Mountain Rescue and Intervention Group called the Greim, has been mobilised to search for Jay. A police helicopter has also been deployed, focusing on the area around the village of Masca. Other emergency services, including firefighters, are also involved in the search. A Guardia Civil spokeswoman confirmed that “everything possible is being done to try to find the missing man.”
Lucy
Lucy, Jay’s friend, has been actively involved in the search, driving around the mountains with an American woman who offered to help. Despite extensive efforts, there has been no sign of Jay. Lucy shared that Jay had posted a picture online of the mountains next to a house he had been to. She managed to find the house and spoke to the occupants, who confirmed Jay had left in the morning, believing he could catch a bus back to Los Cristianos.
Jay was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, shorts, and trainers. He was believed to be carrying a black bag. His family and friends are desperate for any information regarding his whereabouts. Posters in both Spanish and English have been distributed widely in hopes of finding him.
Missing in Tenerife
Jay’s step-dad revealed the moment police knocked on their door at 2.00 am, urging them to fly out to Tenerife. The family’s anguish is palpable as they navigate this traumatic experience, hoping for Jay’s safe return. Debbie expressed her belief that Jay might have been “taken against his will,” though this remains unconfirmed.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office stated, “We are supporting the family of a British man who has been reported missing in Spain and are in contact with the local authorities.”
As the search continues, the community in Tenerife and back home in Lancashire remain hopeful for Jay’s safe return. Anyone with information is urged to contact the local authorities or reach out through the SOS Desaparecidos website.
For updates and more information, please visit the SOS Desaparecidos website here. Please share to help find Jay.