Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Liveupdated1719697983

Jay Slater missing – latest: Father hits out at online trolls as volunteers join Tenerife search for teenager

Spanish police haved called for volunteers as they carry out a new large-scale search in northern Tenerife

Holly Evans
in Tenerife
,Maryam Zakir-Hussain,Vishwam Sankaran
Saturday 29 June 2024 22:53
Jay Slater’s father makes six-word plea to son at visit to site of search

Jay Slater’s father and brother have joined search times in scouring the mountainside in Tenerife for the missing teenager, after Spanish police put out an appeal for volunteers.

Warren Slater told reporters: “We just still can’t believe it; it’s been so tough on us, and I want people to think about us as parents and what we are going through.

“All those trollers having a go at us, they don’t know how we feel, why don’t they come up here and have a look and see for themselves how dangerous it is.”

It comes as police have declared that the two British men who put up the missing British teenager the night before he disappeared are of “no relevance” to the investigation.

The 19-year-old vanished nearly two weeks ago near Buenavista del Norte, Tenerife, after travelling there with two men he had met at a festival around 27 miles further south on the island.

The teenager was last seen wearing a white T-shirt with shorts and trainers, and his phone shows his last location as the Rural de Teno park at 8.50am on Monday 22 June.

1719589805

Police searching for Jay Slater rescue lost Scottish hiker in Tenerife national park

Police searching for missing hiker Jay Slater have rescued a Scottish hiker from the same Tenerife national park in Spain.

The 51-year-old hiker from Scotland was rescued on Friday during a search for Mr Slater, 19, who went missing a week ago, police said on Tuesday.

The Scot was found “tired and disoriented” having gone into a “difficult” area not suitable for travel.

Police searching for Jay Slater rescue lost Scottish hiker in Tenerife national park

Police say ‘tired and disoriented’ hiker wouldn’t have got out without help

Maryam Zakir-Hussain28 June 2024 16:50
1719588005

‘Jay Slater’s parents will be fearing the worst - I know because my son went missing in Ibiza’

The father of a young yachtsman who went missing in Ibizia more than four years ago says Jay Slater’s parents “will start fearing the worst” in their desperate search for their son.

Mark Garland rushed to get a flight to the Spanish island with his two daughters and other son after he received a call to say his son, Ben, had disappeared while filming waves near Portinatx.

The family, joined by several of Ben’s friends, spent two weeks with police during a major search operation that centred on the rocky coastal point the 24-year-old had left his motorbike on 21 January, 2020.

‘Jay’s parents will be fearing the worst’, says father whose son disappeared in Ibiza

Mark Garland shares his traumatic experience of looking for his son in Ibiza as the parents of Mr Slater continue their search more than a week after the 19-year-old went missing

Maryam Zakir-Hussain28 June 2024 16:20
1719586146

Tenerife’s darker side - The strip popular with teenagers where Jay Slater spent his night before disappearing

Lined with garish neon signs, booming music and ridiculously cheap drink deals, Veronica’s Strip in Tenerife could be seen as a British teenager’s heaven or a nightmare.

Young Britons appear to be the main clientele along the popular street in Playa de Las Americas, with hundreds gathering this week to celebrate the end of their A-Level results.

It was here that Jay Slater spent his Sunday evening clubbing, before disappearing 37km away in the mountain region of Rural de Teno national park, with few clues leading as to why the teenager would travel such a distance.

The strip popular with teenagers where Jay Slater spent his night before disappearing

Drugs are widely available along the street which is crowded with nightclubs and bars

Maryam Zakir-Hussain28 June 2024 15:49
1719583205

Are TikTokers and Facebook sleuths drowning out actual leads in the hunt for Jay Slater?

A mocked up Facebook post from one of the Slater’s family inner circle was shared with the message: “Jay’s body has been found. Our hearts are with his family in these evil times, we’ve heard from locals it was the job of the Morrocans [sic].”

The mother of Jay’s best friend Rachel Louise Harg, who also set up the GoFundMe page to go towards search efforts, was forced to amplify the cruel prank as she distanced herself from it, insisting the official update group: “This isn’t me.”

Are TikTokers and Facebook sleuths drowning out leads in the hunt for Jay Slater?

Investigators say armchair sleuths spreading memes and misinformation are harming missing teenager’s family

Maryam Zakir-Hussain28 June 2024 15:00
1719582266

Mystery caller cut Jay Slater off from friend Brad

Jay Slater’s friend has said he could tell the teenager “went off the road” during one of the last phone calls he had before he went missing.

On their last phone call, Jay promised Brad he would call him back.

Brad explained: “He was on the phone and he goes: ‘I’ve got walk and go all down that road’.”

He said Jay had promised to call him back but hung up as “someone else was ringing him.”

Brad added he could hear Jay’s feet slide on the rocks, signalling to him his friend had “went off the road.. That’s how I knew he went off the road because, you know when you walk on gravel, or whatever it is, you can... you know what I mean, stones.”

(This Morning)
Barney Davis28 June 2024 14:44
1719582134

Jay Slater may have ‘come to harm on terrain’ as investigator welcomes new expanded search

Spanish Police have now made a call for volunteers to join the search for Jay Slater in Tenerife.

In an announcement today, the Civil Guard said they are organising a large-scale search operation and are requesting volunteers from a wide range of backgrounds to join, including experts in difficult terrain and firefighters.

Investigator Mark Williams-Thomas, 54, said: “A strong working hypothesis remains that Jay has come to natural harm in the terrain as he took the rugged course back down the hill from the point of his location drop , where I am confident now that he was at 8.50am last Monday morning.

“So for the police chief to issue a statement in Spanish asking local residents, who will know the area well, to join a massive co-ordinated search is a very good action to take .”

Mark Williams-Thomas spoke to reporters in Tenerife after offering the family his assistance
Mark Williams-Thomas spoke to reporters in Tenerife after offering the family his assistance (The Independent )
Barney Davis28 June 2024 14:42
1719581436

Jay Slater’s family are ‘utterly broken’ and ‘still holding out hope’ to find teen in Tenerife

Former detective Mark Williams-Thomas flew over from the UK after offering the family his assistance, as Spanish police and sniffer dogs continue to scour the mountainous region in the north of the island.

Speaking to reporters in Costa Adeje, the TV sleuth said the family of the apprentice bricklayer are “very united” and focused on their mission to discover Mr Slater’s whereabouts.

Jay Slater’s family are ‘utterly broken’ and ‘holding out hope’ to find teen

His relatives and friends have also been subjected to vile social media abuse since the teenager went missing last Monday

Maryam Zakir-Hussain28 June 2024 14:30
1719579636

Mother of son missing for weeks in Bristol ‘feels desperately sorry’ for Jay Slater’s family

The mother of a young man who went missing in Bristol has called for renewed attention on her son’s case amid the disappearance of Jay Slater.

Jack O’Sullivan, 23, was last seen more than 17 weeks ago after walking home from a night out with friends on 2 March, in a case mirroring that of Mr Slater, 19, who vanished in the early hours after partying in Tenerife.

Family and friends are attempting to keep Mr O’Sullivan’s story in the public eye by launching their own website, fundraising, and changing their Facebook profile pictures to his missing poster.

Barney Davis reports:

Mother of son missing for weeks ‘feels desperately sorry’ for Jay Slater’s family

Jack O’Sullivan’s mother said she will keep searching for her son who vanished in Bristol more than three months ago

Maryam Zakir-Hussain28 June 2024 14:00
1719576036

The vanished of Tenerife: Other people who disappeared on the island where Jay Slater went missing

Tourists looking for an easygoing, fun holiday in the sun have headed to the island of Tenerife for decades.

From the party vibes of the neon-lit strip of Playa De Las Americas to the spiritual hikes across cacti-infested ravines in the heat, there is something for everyone.

But with its rocky cliff faces and harsh terrain, the island also has a dangerous side with completely inaccessible areas.

Barney Davis reports:

Tenerife’s missing: Other people who vanished on island where Jay Slater disappeared

Several people still remain missing on the island of Tenerife after vanishing decades ago

Maryam Zakir-Hussain28 June 2024 13:00

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