Lancashire Police offer to support Guardia Civil as search continues for missing Jay Slater in Tenerife

The search party hunting for British teenager Jay Slater, who went missing during a holiday in Tenerife, has focused its efforts on a ravine near to where he was last heard from.

Search and rescue personnel carefully combed through dead palm trees covering a river at the bottom of the hillside near to a property he had reportedly been driven to.

Mr Slater, from Oswaldtwistle, disappeared 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.

A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: “First and foremost, our thoughts are with Jay's family at this time.

“They must be going through the most distressing ordeal not knowing what has happened to their loved one.

“We have specialist officers who are continuing to support Jay's family.

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“Whilst this case falls outside the jurisdiction of UK policing, we have made an offer of support to the Guardia Civil to see if they need any additional resources.

“They have confirmed that at this time they are satisfied that they have the resources they need, but that offer remains open and they will contact us should that position change.

“Once again, our thoughts remain with Jay's family and friends at this distressing time.”

The owner of the Airbnb property he was reportedly driven to, who gave her name as Ophelia, told reporters she saw Mr Slater walk up the road past her property but did not see him again after that – describing the situation as worrying.

A post was issued on Facebook on Friday which said Mr Slater’s family and friends were “drained beyond words” as the search for him entered its fifth day.

Helicopters, rescue dogs and drones have been used in an effort to find the teenager, who was last heard from when he called his friend Lucy Law on Monday morning.

Officers have since been seen peering over the hillside and staring intently at the landscape through binoculars near to his last known location close to the village of Masca.

The walk from Mr Slater’s last known location to his accommodation would have taken about 11 hours on foot.

On the fifth day of the hunt for Mr Slater, search teams paid close attention to a river called Barranco Madre del Agua at the bottom of a ravine, where personnel with sticks carefully searched through fallen dead palm trees.

In a post on the Facebook page called Jay Slater Missing, the administrator of the group Rachel Louise Harg said family and friends of Mr Slater were in a “living nightmare”.

She said: “There isn’t an update for anyone unfortunately.

“Struggling to find words at this time but all I can say is we are looking still and everyone is doing all they can.

“We are drained beyond words – I just can’t say no more, I wish I could.

“I wish this would end now, this living nightmare.

“Searches are ongoing and we remain positive.

“Thanks to you all supporting and helping we can’t thank you any more, much love.”

On Thursday, a helicopter flew over Rural de Teno park in the south of the Spanish island as search teams followed various footpaths in the area.

Footage released by the Guardia Civil on Thursday showed the views from the helicopter as it scoured the hillside.

The video, posted to the force’s X account, showed officers searching in bushes and overgrown terrain with dogs.

Ms Law, who attended the NRG music festival with Mr Slater, said he called her at about 8.30am on Monday and told her he was “lost in the mountains, he wasn’t aware of his surroundings, he desperately needed a drink and his phone was on 1%”.

Mr Slater’s mother, Debbie Duncan, who flew to Tenerife on Tuesday, said searching for her son was “an absolute living nightmare”.

Ms Duncan told ITV News: “He’s the life and soul, he’s a beautiful boy.”

Mr Slater was last seen wearing a white T-shirt with shorts and trainers and a black bag.

A fundraiser set up by Ms Law to “get Jay Slater home” has since received more than £24,000 in donations.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesman said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has been reported missing in Spain and are in contact with the local authorities.”