Jay Slater missing – latest: Teen’s friend reveals details of phone call from night he vanished in Tenerife

Spanish police call for volunteers as they organise large-scale search operation on Saturday

Jay Slater’s father makes six-word plea to son at visit to site of search

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, Mr Slater promised Brad he would call him back but hung up as “someone else was ringing him.”

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

He added that 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.”

The development comes as Spanish police have called for volunteers to join the search for the missing teenager.

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.

The coordinated search will begin on Saturday 29 June at 9am. The Civil Guard said a meeting point will be established at Mirador de la Cruz de Hilda, Masca.

Key Points

• Friend says he could tell Jay Slater ‘went off the road’ before disappearing
• Spanish police call for volunteers to join large-scale search in Tenerife
• Caves being searched for missing teen
• Teen’s mother announces she is withdrawing money from fundraiser
• GoFundMe page raises over £40,000
• On the ground with the desperate search for missing Jay Slater in Tenerife

[27 June 2024 13:00 · Athena Stavrou]

Jay Slater’s employer hits out at trolls ‘cruel’ emails

Jay Slater’s employers have hit out at “cruel” trolls emailing them about the 19-year-old and his disappearance.

The building firm, PH Build Group, had previously spoken out to say the picture being painted of the bricklaying apprentice was “just not true”.

Sharing one email sent to them, they wrote: “This is just one of many emails sent to us along with some great reviews. These people are trying to ruin people’s lives and businesses sat behind a screen looking for attention.

“Everyone may have their own theories and feelings but to publicly post them knowing you are going hurt people is just cruel. Jay’s family shouldn’t have to endure this. The only thing that should matter right now is getting a 19-year-old son back to his family where he belongs.”

[27 June 2024 12:30 · Holly Evans, in Tenerife]

Bar owners not seen Jay following unconfirmed reports of him ‘watching the Euros’

After unconfirmed reports that Jay Slater had been seen “watching the Euros” at a nearby town, The Independent travelled to Los Gigantes which sits at the foot of the mountains where the teenager has gone missing.

However, bar owners in the seaside town had little known knowledge, with sports bar owners stating that he had not been spotted in the vicinity.

“We’ve not seen him,” said the owner of Richardsons, a British sports bar in the town centre which is one of the only bars showing the football.

The Independent travelled to Los Gigantes which sits at the foot of the mountains where the teenager has gone missing. (The Independent)

[27 June 2024 12:02 · Athena Stavrou]

Jay’s mother has ‘every faith’ in search teams

Jay Slater’s mother, Debbie Duncan, said she has “every faith” in search teams as they continue to scour Tenerife for the missing 19-year-old.

Speaking to Manchester Evening News on Thursday morning, she said: “I have every faith in them down on the ground and the amazing searches they are carrying out along with more amazing guys up there.

“As a family we are in a living nightmare. We have no further updates other than Jay is still missing and we are just ignoring the social media side of things.”

[27 June 2024 11:26 · Athena Stavrou]

More than £36,000 so far raised by over 3,300 individual donations to GoFundMe

More than £36,000 has now been raised by over 3,300 individual donations to the “Get Jay Slater home” GoFundMe appeal.

The fundraiser was set up by Lucy Law, the 19-year-old’s friend and the last person to speak to him, with thousands raised within hours as concern for the teenager grew.

His mother Debbie Duncan, 55, said on Thursday that some of the money is going to be used to support mountain rescue teams, and to cover her own accommodation and food costs during her extended stay on the island.

(PA/ITN)

[27 June 2024 10:08 · Tara Cobham]

Jay Slater’s mother announces she is withdrawing money from fundraiser

Jay Slater’s mother has announced she is withdrawing some of the money raised in the fundraiser that was launched to help find her missing son.

Debbie Duncan, 55, said the funds will go towards the search efforts in an update posted on the GoFundMe page on Thursday morning, as she vowed the teenager’s loved ones will not lose hope and will bring him home.

She wrote: “I would like to thank everyone for your support, kind messages, and good wishes. It’s difficult to wrap our heads around what is happening right now, but we are not losing hope that we will find Jay and return home together.

“We are currently working with GoFundMe to withdraw part of the funds, which are being safely held. I wanted to share that these funds will be used to support the mountain rescue teams who are tirelessly searching for Jay. Additionally, since our stay in Tenerife needs to be extended, we will also use the funds to cover accommodation and food expenses. I'm surrounded by wonderful people who are by my side, but far from their loved ones, so we'll also be using part of these funds to fly them to Tenerife so we can support each other during these dark times.

“Thank you again for all your donations and support, this means the world to us.”

[27 June 2024 08:52 · Tara Cobham]

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

The family of missing teenager Jay Slater say they are “utterly broken” as the search continues in Tenerife for a tenth day with no clues to shed light on his disappearance.

The 19-year-old has not been heard from since last Monday morning, when he contacted a friend shortly after 8am to say he was lost in the Rural de Teno park and had only one per cent phone battery.

Former detective Mark Williams-Thomas has now flown 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.

Holly Evans reports from Tenerife:

[27 June 2024 07:02 · Tara Cobham]

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

Fake rumours of a body being found in the hunt for Jay Slater have spread like wildfire across Facebook, TikTok and other social media sites as thousands of users share disinformation.

But distasteful pranks like this could cause a fatal distraction, with days going by since Ms Slater was last seen.

Friends of the teenager are begging for people to keep up the massive search along the rocky hillsides of Tenerife, full of treacherous ravines and cacti.

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