Spanish police searching for missing British teenager Jay Slater were today scouring caves close to a ravine in a fresh area of the remote national park where his phone last pinged.
Jay, 19, vanished without trace on the morning of June 17 after enjoying the last night of a three-day rave at the Papagayo Beach Club in the party resort town of Playa de las Americas with his friends.
After going back to an Airbnb in the remove village of Masca with two men he had had met on holiday, Jay was last seen at 8.15am walking uphill in the Parque Rural de Teno, in the north-western region of the island.
He then phoned his friend Lucy Mae Law at 8.50am to tell her that he was ‘tired, thirsty and disorientated’ with only one per cent battery left on his phone.
Spanish police have been using helicopters and drones in the national park, near to a location where Jay’s phone last pinged.
But on Thursday, a team of officers turned their attention to a new area in the Masca valley. They were concentrating on a ravine further along the national park, with caves near Los Carrizales being searched, the Independent reported.
As the search for Jay entered its 11th day, today revealed new photos of Jay chatting to friends at a hotel pool party just two days before he vanished.
The investigation also took a strange twist yesterday, when the mayor of Tenerife revealed that police were quizzing locals who claimed they had seen Jay ‘watching the Euros’ in a bar in Puerto de Santiago – a coastal resort on the island.
It comes as:
Police in Tenerife say no one is talking yet about halting the search for Jay.
The Civil Guard, which has been leading the operation where the teenager was last seen, said today it was continuing as normal.
More sniffer dogs trained in searching for people over large expanses of land were flown in from Madrid and joined the operation on Tuesday.
A Civil Guard spokesman said today: ‘The Civil Guard is continuing to search for the young British man who disappeared, carrying out inspections of all the paths, trails and ravines belonging to the village of Masca within the municipality of Buenavista del Norte.’
The force also released footage showing officers moving on foot through some of the rough and remote terrain and others carrying out aerial inspections in a helicopter.
A well-placed source added: ‘No one at the moment is talking about the search being brought to an end.
‘There will be a point when the operation that is taking place at the moment has to be at least scaled back. But right now the search teams appear to have decided they want to give themselves more time.’
Tourists in Tenerife today told of their confusion about the disappearance of Jay Slater.
Holidaymaker Paul McKeown, from Shropshire, said: ‘It’s really confusing. He’s on his first holiday on his own and had a really good night out. Where he has gone after that and why he’s gone off with two men is a mystery, I guess, to most people. So, it’s really confusing what’s happened to him and obviously very worrying for the UK, all Brits that come to Tenerife and obviously more so for his family. So, yeah, really confusing and really worrying, I think.’
Christy Collins, also from the UK, said: ‘I have a son who is young and I can’t stop thinking about him and his mum and what his mum is going through. I can’t even imagine what she is thinking and what any parent would go through. It’s horrific and it doesn’t matter what anyone is saying online on what’s happened. That’s somebody’s child, I wouldn’t like to think what’s happened to him.’
Andy Collins added: ‘What I think happened is that he went out partying, maybe overdid it, and had to find his way home. And he was overconfident maybe and got into a situation he could not get out of.’
It comes as Jay’s mother Debbie Duncan revealed she is in talks with GoFundMe to release some of the £36,000 in donations given to an appeal in order to help finance rescue efforts and ‘living costs’ in Tenerife.
Ms Duncan, 55, said the money would be used for mountain rescue, accommodation and food expenses.
In a statement posted on GoFundMe on Thursday, she said: ‘First, 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.’
The appeal was started last week by his friend Lucy and reached its £30,000 target within three days although some contributors have expressed concerns over where the funds will go.
One woman named as Charlotte C wrote: ‘Unfortunately I have to donate the minimum of £5 in order to leave a comment. However, I feel this is important to highlight the concerns regarding this GoFundMe.
‘These feelings are not baseless; they are a product of observations, inaccuracies and experiences that are shared by many.
‘Some of the key concerns regarding the GoFundMe are – 1. There is no detailed plan on how this money will be used. 2. The family said they did not want/need a GoFundMe then later set up a GoFundMe. 3. If it’s for accommodation and car hire. The family have already stated that this has been gifted to them for there stay. 4. The beneficiary – Jay’s mum keeps showing up and disappearing on the GoFundMe page. This has happened multiple times over the past few days. Which is unusual and concerning.
‘It is essential that all funds going towards Jay Slater’s GoFundMe page are put on hold until further details or evidence from the police are released and pending a thorough and meticulous investigation.’
Another donor Andy S, who also contributed £5, said:’I echo Charlotte C’s concerns. I have raised these on numerous platforms (as have many, many others) and no action has been taken.
‘I understand that advice may have been given not to interact but there has not been one update on this GFM to address such concerns. It is really not difficult to update the bio.
‘The media have even highlighted the public’s concerns in this respect. Common sense tells me that Organisers/Beneficiaries would have responded to this on this platform at least.
‘The general public have raised almost £30k for this cause which has obviously touched the nation. Therefore, please, please address the points raised. My thoughts remain with those concerned.’
It comes after fresh pictures emerged of the missing British teenager today.
The photos show the apprentice bricklayer in party resort Playa de las Americas on the Spanish holiday island alongside dozens of other tourists including his friend Lucy.
They were taken at a pool party on the second day of the NRG festival on June 15 – just two days before he vanished.
The pictures were posted by a Scottish female holidaymaker, who we are not identifying.
She wrote: ‘Just came across these in my camera roll. Not sure if they could be of any help, Jay sort of looks like he’s standing (by) himself while Lucy is speaking to his other friends.’
Since Jay vanished police and mountain rescue teams have combed a vast area of the park using drones, dogs and helicopters but found no trace of him.
His parents Debbie Duncan and Warren Slater, 58, plus brother Zak Slater, 24, have all travelled to Tenerife to help in the hunt and are said to be at ‘breaking point’.
They flew in from their home in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire and have vowed to remain in Tenerife until they find Jay but as time goes on and with no sighting fears are growing for his safety.
TV investigator Mark Williams-Thomas, who is in contact with the family, said he has two working theories – that he either had an accident and is on the mountain, or a criminal party is involved.
He has also appealed for the two men who were with Jay to come forward or he will ‘release a picture of one of them’.
Spanish police, who have rejected an offer of help from British police, have not commented on any of the speculation or Mr Williams-Thomas’ presence.
The disappearance took a bizarre twist yesterday when the search shifted to the town of Puerto de Santiago after a mayor said locals had seen someone matching his appearance in bars there.
Emilio Jose Navarro Castanedo gave an interview saying he had spoken to locals who said they had ‘seen him watching the Euros on the coast.’ Mr Navarro Castanedo said he didn’t know which bars locals had seen the man in or what time or date.
Speaking exclusively to , Mr Navarro Castanedo said: ‘There has been a lot of fake news and misunderstanding of what I said.
‘To be clear, I did not say I saw him watching football, locals have told me that they have heard from others that they saw someone looking like the boy in a bar at Los Gigantes further along the coast.
‘I have no idea if it was him, but holidaymakers of his age all dress the same and I have no idea in which bars he was seen, I don’t know if the police have been there they are not telling me about their investigation.
‘I know that local police have spoken to these people who said they saw him cheering in a bar watching football.
‘I don’t know when he was supposed to have been seen but it was supposedly certainly in the days after he disappeared but I have to underline this is unconfirmed information and only what I have been told.’
The development came as one of Jay’s pals lashed out at internet sleuths and online trolls who have accused him of being connected to the disappearance.
Bradley Hargreaves, 19, arrived on the Spanish sunshine holiday island with Jay, for their first lads holiday abroad and attended the high-octane NRG festival.
It was following an after-party at Papagayo’s nightclub in the hotspot of Playa de las Americas that the apprentice bricklayer vanished on June 17.
Posting on social media, Bradley said: ‘Don’t know why l’ve to jump on here to explain myself to the Facebook world but if any of yous believe me his best mate has anything to do with him going missing you’re honestly not all there.
‘I’ve known Jay most of my life go to all these raves and what not together and this was our first lads holiday with him. Nobody actually knows the true story not even me because there isn’t a factual story that has come out just a load of s*** that has been said by different people.
‘Anyway won’t be saying much more on here but just thought l’d get that out.’
Among those who commented on his post was Lucy, the last friend who Jay was in touch with and who spoke with him at 8.50am the day he disappeared. She posted a praying hands and heart emoji adding: ‘We will find him.’
Jay’s mother revealed she’s at her wits’ end with worry. Speaking out, Debbie revealed how among those who had travelled to the Spanish holiday island was her son’s former girlfriend, Jessica Ingham.
School finance officer Debbie, 55, told : ‘It’s been a week now and it’s been awful. I’ve barely slept and I’m at my wits’ end.
‘The Spanish police are doing a good job and we are getting updated from the consulate so we just put our faith in them.
‘I know people in the UK have come forward as well who were at the festival and they are giving details of what they know but I’m not being told about that.’