Jay Slater Tenerife search party rescues British man trapped in gorge near Masca

Concerned locals reported the man to police after the 51-year-old, from Scotland, went hiking in the heat and failed to return hours later.

He was last seen venturing into the arid wilderness from the Los Carrizales neighbourhood near Masca, where search and rescue teams have been searching for missing Lancashire teenager Jay since last Monday.

Rescue teams broke off their search for the 19-year-old after being alerted to the other missing man, who they found trapped at the Asomada Gorge.

The Scot was said to be "tired and disoriented". It’s not clear whether he had been searching for Jay when he became lost and in need of rescue himself.

The incident happened last Friday, but details were only made public by the police last night.

Spanish police said the man would not have been able to escape from the gorge alone and was lucky to be alive. The area has poor phone coverage and the terrain is not suitable for hiking, said police.

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A Spanish police spokesperson said: "Officers acting alongside a Civil Protection mountain rescue team have helped rescue a Scottish hiker aged 51 in the Asomada Gorge in the Los Carrizales neighbourhood.

“Local residents saw how the hiker went into an area of difficult access which was not suitable for transit early in the morning and had yet to return to his starting point several hours later.

“We want to thank the local residents who alerted us to this situation because the difficulty of the terrain and lack of phone cover in the area meant this hiker would not have been able to get out alone and without the help he received."