Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

British teenager missing in Tenerife after telling friends he was lost and his phone was on 1%

Teenager goes missing on Spanish island after night out with friends attending the NRG music festival

Matt Mathers
Tuesday 18 June 2024 14:13 BST
Comments
Jay Slater is missing in Tenerife
Jay Slater is missing in Tenerife (Supplie)

Your support helps us to tell the story

As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.

Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.

Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election

Head shot of Andrew Feinberg

Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

A young British man has been reported missing while on holiday with his friends in Tenerife.

Jay Slater, 19, from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, was last heard from at around 8am GMT on Monday.

The Foreign Office confirmed it is supporting the family of a British man who has been reported missing in Spain.

Mr Slater travelled to the Canary island for a music festival with his friend Lucy and another friend. But he did not return to their apartment after going to stay with people he met on a night out.

On Monday morning, Lucy received a call from Mr Slater to say he was trying to walk back to where they were staying because he was not able to get a bus home.

She said that he needed a drink of water, his phone was on 1 per cent battery and that he didn’t know where he was. His last tracked location showed him “in the middle of mountains with nothing around”.

The location was in the Rural de Teno Park - or the National Park of Teno - a popular hiking spot in the northwest of the island.

Lucy said that after his night out, her friend “set off walking, using his Maps on his phone and ended up in the middle of mountains with nothing around.”

“He rang me at about 8 o’clock morning saying his phone was on 1 per cent, he said ‘I don’t know where I am, I need a drink and my phone is about to die’”, she told the Manchester Evening News.

She has not been heard from since and Mr Slater’s mother was said to be on her way to the island.

The group of friends travelled to Tenerife for the NRG music festival, which was held from 14-16 June.

The line-up of events was set to include beach and boat parties as well as day and night raves at undisclosed venues.

A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has been reported missing in Spain and are in contact with the local authorities.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in