Jay Slater could still be alive ‘drinking rainwater and eating plants’, detective says

Investigator claims offical search operation for British teenager missing on Tenerife was called off too early

A private investigator has urged Jay Slater’s family “not to give up hope”, claiming the missing teenager could still be alive “drinking rainwater and eating plants”.

The 19-year-old from Lancashire has not been seen or heard from since he disappeared on the morning of June 17 in Tenerife’s Rural de Teno national park.

It is thought to have embarked on an 11-hour walk from an AirBnb in the village of Masca back to his own accommodation in Playa de Las Americas.

His last known location placed him on a rural footpath in the national park after he called his friend at 8:15am to let them know he was lost, needed a drink of water and that his phone had one per cent battery.

His disappearance sparked huge national interest and a huge search operation but following a gruelling 13-day search, the Spanish Civil Guard called off its operation on Sunday.

Follow our live coverage of Jay Slater’s disappearance here.

A private investigator has urged Jay Slater’s family ‘not to give up hope’ (Supplied)

However, private investigator and army reservist Juan García, 53, said that it was too early to halt the search and told The Times: “[Slater] could be alive somewhere — someone can drink from rainwater and eat plants. The family should not give up hope.”

He added that he had spoken to Jay’s family - who are still in Tenerife desperately trying to find the apprentice bricklayeer - to directly to offer his advice.

García is not the only private detective who has gotten involved in the case.

TV detective Mark Williams-Thomas - who also investigated Nicola Bulley’s disappearance - flew out to Tenerife to assist Jay’s family in their search.

He issued a full update on Wednesday detailing Jay’s movements on the Sunday evening and Monday morning before he went missing.

A group of search and rescue workers near to the village of Masca, Tenerife (James Manning/PA) (PA Wire)

He said: “I have spoken to lots of witnesses and have a clear picture of what happened overnight of Sunday 16th through to the morning of 17th June.”

He went on to detail how Jay left the Veronica’s Strip in Playa de Las Americas shortly before 6am with two men “casually” known to him and drove to their AirBnb an hour north in the village of Masca.

Mr Slater sent several messages via social media to his friends from the holiday rental, before leaving the property at around 7:30am.

He was then seen by the host of the rental property waiting for a bus but when he was told there wasn’t another one until 10am, he began to walk back instead.

It is thought he was walking for a further 30 minutes, in which time he called his friend to tell them he was lost, before his phone died marking his last location off the road on a track at 8:50am.

Firefighters search near to the village of Masca, Tenerife (James Manning/PA) (PA Wire)

Mr Williams-Thomas highlighted Jay’s strange decision to embark on the walk through challenging terrain rather than return to the AirBnb.

He said: “He was told to go back to the rental. He said he could not do that and that he had already been walking 30 minutes and that he was now off the road and walking on a track, where there were loose stones.”

The Airbnb Casa Abuela Tina in Masca which Jay Slater travelled to (James Manning/PA) (PA Wire)

One of the men thought to have invited Mr Slater back to the AirBnb said they knew each other through friends and told reporters: “He came to my Airbnb alive and he left my Airbnb alive.”

Ayub Qassim told the Mail Online: “I’ve spoken to the Spanish police and they’ve told me not to speak to anyone which is why I’ve been quiet.

“I’ve not spoken to Mark Williams-Thomas or anyone like him because he doesn’t have any jurisdiction in Tenerife, and I haven’t done anything wrong.”

The Spanish authorities have said the two men who were renting the AirBnb are “irrelevant” to their investigation.