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The mother of Jay Slater has issued a heartbreaking statement days after Spanish police ended their search for the missing teenager, who disappeared over two weeks ago in Tenerife.
Debbie Duncan thanked the Guardia Civil who she said had “worked tirelessly up in the mountains where Jay’s last phone call was traced”.
Released through the British overseas missing persons charity LBT Global, she said: “We are a very close family and are absolutely devastated about his disappearance.
“Words cannot describe the pain and agony we are experiencing. He is our beautiful boy with his whole life ahead of him and we just want to find him.”
The 19-year-old had travelled with friends to the Canary Island to attend the NRG music festival, before returning to a remote AirBnb with two British men that he had met in Playa de Las Americas.
He called his friend at 8.50am to say that he was lost in the Rural de Teno park with no water and only had one per cent battery on his phone.
Forensic officers spotted inside AirBnb rental property
Forensic officers were spotted at the AirBnb in Masca on Tuesday, the Manchester Evening News reports.
Two police officers were seen inside the holiday rental apartment where Jay stayed the night before his disappearance. The men, who were both wearing plain clothes, exited the property shortly after 11am wearing forensic style blue slip-ons over their shoes.
They were then seen taking the slip-ons off before speaking to a local, who had let them into the property with a key.
Holly Evans3 July 2024 11:12
Forensic officers spotted inside AirBnb rental property
Forensic officers were spotted at the AirBnb in Masca on Tuesday, the Manchester Evening News reports.
Two police officers were seen inside the holiday rental apartment where Jay stayed the night before his disappearance. The men, who were both wearing plain clothes, exited the property shortly after 11am wearing forensic style blue slip-ons over their shoes.
They were then seen taking the slip-ons off before speaking to a local, who had let them into the property with a key.
Holly Evans3 July 2024 11:12
Full statement from Jay Slater’s family
Here is the full family statement from Debbie Duncan who spoke through the British overseas missing persons charity LBT Global:
“My son, Jay Dean Slater, came to the holiday island of Tenerife on 13 June with his friend to attend a music festival.
“On 17 June after not returning to his apartment he was reported as a missing person.
“Jay is a normal guy who is in his third year of an apprenticeship, and he is a very popular young man with a large circle of friends.
“We are a very close family and are absolutely devastated about his disappearance.
“Words cannot describe the pain and agony we are experiencing. He is our beautiful boy with his whole life ahead of him and we just want to find him.
“We do not have any information on his whereabouts.
“The Guardia Civil have worked tirelessly up in the mountains where Jay’s last phone call was traced. They conducted a land search for 12 days which involved every resource they had available.
“Although the land search ended, the Spanish police still continue with their investigations into why Jay had travelled to the location so far away from his accommodation.
“We offer our sincere thanks to the Spanish authorities who continue to follow lines of inquiries.
“We would like to say to the press/news/reporters, that although we do not want to lose the momentum of Jay’s disappearance, we really would like to maintain our privacy and crucially let the Spanish police get on with their investigations without hindrance from press.
“We are aware of the conspiracy theories and speculation on social media and some websites, and can only describe this as vile, the negative comments are extremely distressing to our family.
“We also embrace the love and support we have received from across the globe. It has not gone unnoticed, especially his home town in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire.
“As a family we would like the world to respect our privacy at this present time.”
Holly Evans3 July 2024 10:29
Jay Slater’s mother: ‘Words cannot describe the pain and agony’
The mother of missing Jay Slater said “words cannot describe the pain and agony we are experiencing” after searches on Tenerife failed to trace the missing 19-year-old.
In a statement issued through the British overseas missing persons charity LBT Global, Debbie Duncan said the land search for her son has been called off, but thanked the Guardia Civil who she said had “worked tirelessly up in the mountains where Jay’s last phone call was traced”.
The 19-year-old, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared on June 17 after setting off to walk back to his accommodation on the holiday island.
His mother’s statement said: “We are a very close family and are absolutely devastated about his disappearance.
“Words cannot describe the pain and agony we are experiencing. He is our beautiful boy with his whole life ahead of him and we just want to find him.”
Holly Evans3 July 2024 10:08
