Jay Slater missing – latest: Mother gives GoFundMe update as teen ‘spotted watching Euros’ after last contact

28/06/2024

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

Jay Slater’s mother has issued an update over the fundraiser that was launched to help find her missing son as the search for him in Tenerife continues for an eleventh day.

Debbie Duncan, 55, announced on Thursday that she is withdrawing some of the money raised in the GoFundMe to put towards the search efforts, as she vowed the teenager’s loved ones will not lose hope and will return home with him.

It comes as the local mayor of the town of Santiago del Teide, Emilio Jose Navarro, said Spanish police have spoken to several people who believe they may have seen the 19-year-old watching Euro 2024 matches after his last contact with friends.

Police are examining grainy CCTV footage from the town, which is around three-and-a-half miles from the mountainous Rural de Teno park – his last known location – to determine whether it is a sighting of the apprentice bricklacker.

The image, shared by the family to media outlets, shows a person walking through the town and was captured around 10 hours after Jay's phone last pinged.

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A glimmer of hope for Jay Slater’s family - an Irish tourist who was found after vanishing in Tenerife

The family of missing Jay Slater are sick with worry about their son - but are still holding out hope he may be found alive after disappearing in Tenerife.

But the story of an Irish tourist who also vanished on the Spanish island last year to be found alive a few days later suggests all may not be lost in the missing person search for Mr Slater.

Reports from last year tell of how Ryan Cooney, who was aged 28 at the time, was last seen leaving his hotel Paraiso del Sol apartments in Playa de las Americas on 9 November 2023.

The Independent’s Holly Evans reports from Tenerife:

2023 disappearance of tourist in Tenerife gives glimmer of hope in Jay Slater hunt

Ryan Cooney’s story offers hope to Jay Slater’s family that he could be found alive on the island

Athena Stavrou28 June 2024 07:00

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TikTok explorer says he is meeting with Jay Slater’s family

Paul Arnott, 29, who runs the TikTok account Down the Rapids is among those who has been searching for Jay Slater after he disappeared last Monday. Since being in Tenerife, he has posted 66 videos with each racking up hundreds of thousands of views.

His efforts have attracted the interest of the teenager’s family, who have reportedly contacted him and arranged a meeting on Thursday.

“I’m meeting the family today,” he told the Telegraph. “I’ve been speaking with Brad’s mum, Rachel. They wanted to bring me food but I said no.

“They said they wanted to meet me. They said they’re really proud of what I’m doing.”

Athena Stavrou28 June 2024 06:00

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Trolls making our nightmare worse, says family friend

The mother of Jay Slater’s best friend has told the BBC that a deluge of online trolling has added to their “living nightmare”.

Rachel Hargreaves, 34, who is in Tenerife with Mr Slater’s mother, Debbie Duncan, is the mother of Brad, who travelled to the Canary Islands with Mr Slater.

Ms Hargreaves, a chef from Accrington in Lancashire, said a troll even impersonated her late mother, who died eight months ago.

“The picture of my mum is an old one but it was on my Facebook and somehow they have got their hands on it,” she said.

“We’re living the worst nightmare you can live and this does not help. I’m a strong person and that affected me. Things don’t normally get to me.”

Athena Stavrou28 June 2024 05:00

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‘There isn’t much here’: Exploring the isolated Tenerife landscape of Jay Slater’s last known location

As the desperate search for missing British teenager Jay Slater continues, The Independent’s Holly Evans has travelled to Tenerife to bring readers the latest in the ongoing investigation.

The 19-year-old from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared in Tenerife over a week ago following an attempt to walk back to his accommodation after missing a bus.

He had attended the NRG music festival on the island with two friends before his disappearance.

The location where Mr Slater’s phone pinged last Monday (17 June) is in an area of difficult terrain, with a narrow path and dramatic drops into the mountains.

Exploring the isolated Tenerife landscape of Jay Slater’s last known location

As the desperate search for missing British teenager Jay Slater continues, The Independent’s Holly Evans has travelled to Tenerife to bring readers the latest in the ongoing investigation. The 19-year-old from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared in Tenerife over a week ago following an attempt to walk back to his accommodation after missing a bus. He had attended the NRG music festival on the island with two friends before his disappearance. The location where Mr Slater’s phone pinged last Monday (17 June) is in an area of difficult terrain, with a narrow path and dramatic drops into the mountains. Today (25 June), four police cars can be seen in the background.

Athena Stavrou28 June 2024 04:00

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The nightclub where Jay Slater spent his last evening before disappearing

Holly Evans reports live from Tenerife:

Located on Veronica’s Strip in Playa de Las Americas, the nightclub where Jay Slater spent his evening before going missing stands at the end of a long run of busy bars.

The majority of them open until 5am, they are currently inundated with British teenagers celebrating their A-Levels, with cheap drinks and package spirit deals available all down the street.

Drugs are easily accessible, with groups selling Class A, cannabis and balloons along the pavement.

(Holly Evans )

Athena Stavrou28 June 2024 03:00

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Spanish locals know little about Jay Slater disappearance

Holly Evans reports from the scene in Tenerife:

Despite the interest among British press and tourists, Spanish locals appear to know very little about the disappearance. While Jay Slater’s photo has been plastered onto ATMs and bus stops, the Spanish police have made very few comments on the case and not much is known about the progression of the investigation.

While a group of British people from Manchester on holiday told The Independent last night that they had been checking the Facebook group chats daily, locals appear confused by the press attention.

Adela, a cafe worker in the tourist area of Los Cristianos, shook her head and simply said: “People always get lost in the mountains if they’re not careful, it just happens.”

Athena Stavrou28 June 2024 02:00

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A glimmer of hope for Jay Slater’s family - an Irish tourist who was found after vanishing in Tenerife

The family of missing Jay Slater are sick with worry about their son - but are still holding out hope he may be found alive after disappearing in Tenerife.

But the story of an Irish tourist who also vanished on the Spanish island last year to be found alive a few days later suggests all may not be lost in the missing person search for Mr Slater.

Reports from last year tell of how Ryan Cooney, who was aged 28 at the time, was last seen leaving his hotel Paraiso del Sol apartments in Playa de las Americas on 9 November 2023.

The Independent’s Holly Evans reports from Tenerife:

2023 disappearance of tourist in Tenerife gives glimmer of hope in Jay Slater hunt

Ryan Cooney’s story offers hope to Jay Slater’s family that he could be found alive on the island

Athena Stavrou28 June 2024 01:00

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Mapped: Jay Slater’s last known movements in Tenerife as search for missing teenager continues

Jay Slater’s last known movements have been mapped as the desperate search for the missing teenager entered its second week in Tenerife.

A major search operation was launched after the 19-year-old, from the Lancashire town of Oswaldtwistle, vanished on the Spanish island last Monday morning.

Police, sniffer dogs, firefighters and volunteers were among those who gathered again on Saturday to continue with the hunt as fears grow for the British teenager.

Mapped: Jay Slater’s last known movements in Tenerife as search for teen continues

The 19-year-old vanished on Monday after last being seen by a local 11 hours from his accommodation

Athena Stavrou28 June 2024 00:01

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Recap: What were Jay’s last known moves

Jay Slater disappeared after attending the New Rave Generation music festival last Sunday evening in Papagayo Beach Club on the south of the island.

After making new acquaintances during the early hours of the morning, he travelled with two British men to a remote AirBnb, an 11-hour hike from his accommodation.

At around 8.15am last Monday, he contacted his friend Lucy Law and told her that he was lost, had injured his leg, was dehydrated and that his phone only had one per cent battery.

At 8.50am, his phone was last located near the Mirador La Cruz de Hilda cafe, a steep climb in the wrong direction from where an eyewitness had told him to head.

Athena Stavrou27 June 2024 23:00

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

The Independent’s Holly Evans reports from Tenerife:

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.