Spanish police call for volunteers to join mass search for missing Jay Slater in Tenerife

A plea for volunteers to help join a "massive search" for missing teenager Jay Slater has been issued by police

The 19-year-old, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, was first reported missing on Monday, 17 June, after attempting to return to his accommodation after the NRG festival.

He had rung friend Lucy Law to say he did not know where he was, and was beginning an 11 hour walk back to their hotel before his phone battery died.

His disappearance sparked a huge rescue operation at his last known location, Rural de Teno Park in the north of the island, with firefighters, police and mountain rescue all taking to the remote mountainous area to find the apprentice bricklayer.

Now, 12 days after he was first reported missing, the Guardia Civil has appealed for volunteer associations to assist in a “busqueda masiva”, or massive search, to take place on Saturday 29 June.

The Spanish police said they were specifically looking for organisations such as firefighters, and individual volunteers who were experts in rugged terrain.

It did not want, the force clarified, the “unexperienced” general public to join.

The search, which will begin at 9am in the village of Masca, near to Jay's last-known location, would be coordinated to take in a steep rocky area, including ravines, trails and paths.

Anyone able to assist is asked to contact the Guardia Civil before 8pm on Friday.

Jay had flown to the island for the NRG rave weekender, but has not been seen since he left a remote Airbnb he had gone to with two people he met there.

The owner of the Airbnb told ITV Granada Reports she saw Jay at around 8:15am when he approached her to ask about bus times.

She says after the conversation she saw him walking along the mountain road towards a beauty spot as she was driving past, but after that she did not see him again.

Jay's friend Lucy Mae Law said he rang her at approximately 8:50am and told her he was lost, his phone was running out of battery, and he was going to walk back to his hotel after missing a bus.

That walk would have taken 11 hours, and Lucy Mae said he told her he had no water.

Jay's mother Debbie Duncan, who travelled to the island following his disappearance, said money raised online would be used to support mountain rescue teams, and to cover her own accommodation and food costs.

Donations flooded in after GoFundMe appeal “Get Jay Slater home” was set up by Lucy Law, his friend and the last person to speak to him, and by Friday more than £40,000 had been raised.

In an update on Thursday, Ms Duncan said: “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.”

Search teams, co-ordinated by the Guardia Civil, have since mounted a huge manhunt using helicopters, drones and search dogs to scour mountainous areas of the island, but are yet to find the teenager.

Ms Duncan has described her son’s disappearance and the wait for news as a “living nightmare”.

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