Human remains have been found in the search for Jay Slater, nearly a month after the British 19-year-old went missing in Tenerife.
A body was found in the area where he had disappeared, the Civil Guard said, as a charity supporting the family confirmed that it was discovered close to the site of his mobile phone’s last location.
DNA tests will be carried out to establish the person’s identity, along with an autopsy. The body was found with Mr Slater’s possessions and clothes, charity LBT Global said, with initial police investigations suggesting he “could have suffered an accident fall”.
The apprentice bricklayer from Lancashire had been at the NRG music festival on 16 June before going to an Airbnb in the village of Masca with two men. He left the following morning and appeared to start an 11-hour walk back to his apartment.
He was last seen by a cafe owner, who said the teenager had asked her about bus times before deciding not to wait two hours for a service. She then saw him leave the village on foot, and his phone was last detected in the Rural de Teno National Park.
Key Points
- Human remains found in search for Jay Slater
- Body found with British teenager’s possessions and clothes, charity says
- Footage shows terrain close to where body was found
- Jay Slater’s mother slams ‘vile’ conspiracy theories on disappearance
Jay Slater’s mother criticises ‘vile’ conspiracy theories
04:00
Athena Stavrou
In her final statement prior to a body being found in the search for her son, Jay Slater’s mother Debbie Duncan criticised the “awful comments and conspiracy theories” on social media.
Ms Duncan wrote: “As we approach four weeks of our beautiful Jay’s disappearance, we cannot put into words the heartache we are suffering as a family.
“Jay is a typical young man who loves life with a bright future ahead of him. This month will mark the end of his three year apprenticeship with the world at his feet. He is loved by everyone and has a close bond with his family and many many friends
“We would also like to say that we are aware of the awful comments and conspiracy theories that are filling social media. These theories are hindering the people trying to help us in their investigations here in Tenerife and are vile to see as a family.
“He is a loving son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend to so many. He is such a popular boy this and is very distressing for us all to read.”
Watch: Britons using new safety measures in Tenerife after Jay Slater disappearance
03:00
Athena Stavrou
Pictured: The search for Jay Slater near village of Masca
02:00
Athena Stavrou
Here are some more images of the search and terrain near Masca:
Full story: Human remains found by rescue teams searching for Jay Slater, police say
01:00
Athena Stavrou
After four gruelling weeks of mystery, the search for missing British teenager Jay Slater appears to have come to an end in northern Tenerife.
Human remains have been found in the area where the 19-year-old vanished on the morning of 17 June, Spanish police said on Monday.
The Civil Guard said the evidence strongly suggested the remains were those of the Lancashire teenager, with his clothes and possessions being found nearby.
Authorities said DNA tests will be carried out to establish the person’s identity, along with an autopsy to uncover the cause of their death, police added.
Read the full story here:
Where was Jay Slater last seen?
Tuesday 16 July 2024 00:01
Athena Stavrou
Jay Slater had flown to the island to attend a music festival with his friends, in what was his first holiday without his family.
On Sunday June 16, he had spent the day at the NRG music festival where his friends left him to return back to their accommodation early after a tiring weekend.
He then went to a nightclub on the Veronicas strip in Playa de Las Americas, nearby where his holiday accommodation was, until the early hours of the morning. At around 5am, Mr Slater travelled to an AirBnb where two men he had met were staying around a 27 miles further north in the remote village of Masca.
One of the men has been identified as Ayub Qassim, who told the MailOnline that he let Mr Slater stay at his accommodation because he “had nowhere else to go” and insisted he was safe when he left the property at 7:30am.
Mr Slater was last seen by a cafe owner, who said the teenager had asked her about bus times before deciding not to wait two hours for a service.
The cafe owner said she saw Mr Slater “walking away fast” out of the village, and his phone was last detected nearby in the Rural de Teno National Park.
At around 8:15am on Monday he called his friend Lucy Law to tell her he was lost, needed a drink of water and that he had one per cent battery left on his phone.
Jay Slater’s ‘possessions and clothes’ found near body
Monday 15 July 2024 23:30
Athena Stavrou
While Mr Slater’s family has not yet commented on the discovery, a charity they have been working with said they were “supporting the family at this distressing time”.
The statement, released on Monday afternoon, read: “LBT Global is saddened to announce that a body found in Tenerife does look to be that of Jay Slater. It is understood the body was found close to the site of his mobile phone’s last location.
“Although formal identification is yet to be carried out, the body was found with Mr Slater’s possessions and clothes. A post mortem and forensic enquiries will follow.”
Tenerife mapped: Where was Jay Slater last seen and where was the body found?
Monday 15 July 2024 23:29
Athena Stavrou
When British teenager Jay Slater vanished in northern Tenerife a little under a month ago, the case captured the attention of the nation.
Tens of thousands of pounds were donated by the public to fund the search, with some even volunteering to fly over to the popular holiday island to assist.
Helicopters, sniffer dogs and, in the last days of the search, private experts were brought in, in the hope of finding the Lancashire teenager.
The search followed Mr Slater’s last known steps through treacherous valleys and dangerous ravines until a body, thought to be the remains of the 19-year-old, was found after four gruelling weeks.
Read the full story here:
Donations continue to pour in for Jay Slater
Monday 15 July 2024 23:00
Athena Stavrou
GoFundMeDonations are continuing to pour in to the GoFundMe campaign to help find Jay Slater, after the Civil Guard in Tenerife said they had found a body in their search for the teenager.
More than 4,000 peope have donated a total of over £55,000 to the GoFundMe set up by Jay’s friend Lucy Law, on behalf of his mother Debbie Duncan, at the outset of the search last month.
Ms Duncan has said the money is being used to support mountain rescue teams, and to cover her own accommodation and food costs during her extended stay on the island.
Body found ‘in very inaccessible area’, report says
Monday 15 July 2024 22:33
Athena Stavrou
Jay Slater’s phone was last located near a stretch of road by the Mirador La Cruz de Hilda, a cafe near the village of Masca with cacti and dense shrubbery on either side, which had made it slow work for helicopters, drones and sniffer dogs to comb through the area.
The body discovered on Monday morning was found by Civil Guard mountain rescue specialists in a very “inaccessible” area.
Lancashire police release statement
Monday 15 July 2024 22:00
Athena Stavrou
Lancashire police have released a statement following the discovery of a body in the search for Jay Slater in Tenerife.
The 19-year-old, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, went missing almost a month ago while on holiday with his friends.
Lancashire police had previously offered to help the Spanish civil guard in its search for the apprentice bricklayer.
The force spokesperson said on Monday: “We have today (Monday, July 15) been notified by the Guardia Civil that they have found the body of a man and that the indications are that this is Jay Slater. While at this stage no formal identification has been carried out our thoughts are very much with Jay’s family at this time, and we continue to offer them our support.”
Civil Guard continued search discreetly
Monday 15 July 2024 21:33
Athena Stavrou
Tenerife’s civil guard said it had found a body in the search for Jay Slater, despite having publicly called off the search over two weeks ago.
After 13 days of searching, the Spanish authorities called off the search on June 30, but said they were continuing their investigation.
However upon recovering a body Monday, they revealed they had indeed continued an “incessant and discreet” search in which the “natural space was preserved so that it would not be filled with curious onlookers”.
Footage shows terrain close to where body was found
Monday 15 July 2024 20:47
Athena Stavrou
The Spanish Civil Guard has released video footage of rescuers climbing rock faces and battling through scrub as they carried out the search.
Part of the clip shows two members of the search team being winched out of the area by helicopter after the body had been found and recovered.
Three unanswered questions about British teen’s disappearance on Tenerife
Monday 15 July 2024 20:19
Andy Gregory
“All indications” suggest that the body found could be that of Jay Slater, who “could have died due to an accidental fall in the steep and inaccessible area where he was found”, the Civil Guard has said.
With post-mortem and forensic investigations yet to conclude, questions remain over how the apprentice bricklayer went missing in an area inundated with tourists.
Here are three unanswered questions in his disappearance:
Where was Jay Slater last seen and where was the body found?
Monday 15 July 2024 19:50
Andy Gregory
Civil Guard statement in full
Monday 15 July 2024 19:22
Andy Gregory
Here is the Civil Guard’s statement today in full:
“Civil Guard agents belonging to the Mountain Rescue and Intervention Group (GREIM) have located this morning the lifeless body of a young man in the Masca area, belonging to the municipality of Buenavista del Norte.
“All indications indicate that it could be the young British man who had been missing for 29 days, who could have died due to an accidental fall in the steep and inaccessible area where he was found.
“Thanks to the incessant and constant search carried out by the different units of the Civil Guard, in which they have not stopped searching for the young man every day in the Masca area, where he had allegedly disappeared, this morning , GREIM agents, Mountain specialists, have found the lifeless body of the young man in a very inaccessible area.”
Watch: Jay Slater's friend recalls final phone call before teenager went missing in Tenerife
Monday 15 July 2024 18:53
Andy Gregory
Timeline: The search for missing teenager Jay Slater in Tenerife
Monday 15 July 2024 18:36
Andy Gregory
A body has been found in the search for Jay Slater nearly a full month since the British teenager was last seen.
Here is a timeline of the key events prior to his disappearance and leading up to the discovery:
Donations continue to pour in for Jay Slater GoFundMe
Monday 15 July 2024 18:03
Andy Gregory
Donations are continuing to pour in to the GoFundMe campaign to help find Jay Slater, after the Civil Guard in Tenerife said they had found a body in their search for the teenager.
More than 4,000 peope have donated a total of nearly £55,000 to the GoFundMe set up by Jay’s friend Lucy Law, on behalf of his mother Debbie Duncan, at the outset of the search last month.
Ms Duncan has said the money is being used to support mountain rescue teams, and to cover her own accommodation and food costs during her extended stay on the island.
Jay Slater ‘could have died due to accidental fall’ where body found, say Civil Guard
Monday 15 July 2024 17:34
Andy Gregory
“All indications” suggest that the body found could be that of Jay Slater, the Spanish Civil Guard has said.
If confirmed, the teenager “could have died due to an accidental fall in the steep and inaccessible area where he was found”, the force said.
The full statement from charity supporting Jay Slater’s family
Monday 15 July 2024 17:18
Andy Gregory
Here is the full statement issued today by LBT Global, the charity supporting Jay Slater’s family, after a body was found in the search for the missing teenager:
“LBT Global is saddened to announce that a body found in Tenerife does look to be that of Jay Slater.
It is understood the body was found close to the site of his mobile phone’s last location.
“Although formal identification is yet to be carried out, the body was found with Mr Slater’s possessions and clothes. A post mortem and forensic enquiries will follow.
“LBT Global are supporting the family at this distressing time and ask for everyone to afford them space and privacy to come to terms with the news.”
Rugged and mountainous landscape hampered search
Monday 15 July 2024 17:03
Andy Gregory
Located in a steep valley in the beautiful Rural de Teno park, the remote village of Masca is a heaven for hikers and adventurers travelling to Tenerife.
Yet for the family and friends of Jay Slater, it became the place of nightmares because its rugged landscape and steep ravines is capable of having easily hidden clues which could have shed light on the teenager’s disappearance.
Having witnessed the search first-hand in its second week, Independent reporter Holly Evans wrote at the time that it was understandable how such little progress had been made.
Body found ‘in very inaccessible area’, report says
Monday 15 July 2024 16:17
Andy Gregory
Jay Slater’s phone was last located near a stretch of road by the Mirador La Cruz de Hilda, a cafe near the village of Masca with cacti and dense shrubbery on either side, which had made it slow work for helicopters, drones and sniffer dogs to comb through the area.
Local newspaper El Dia reported that the body discovered on Monday morning was found by Civil Guard mountain rescue specialists in a very inaccessible area.
The Tenerife strip popular with teenagers where Jay Slater spent his night before disappearing
Monday 15 July 2024 15:40
Holly Evans
Lined with garish neon signs, booming music and ridiculously cheap drink deals, Veronica’s Strip in Tenerife could be seen as a British teenager’s heaven or a nightmare.
Young Britons appear to be the main clientele along the popular street in Playa de Las Americas, with hundreds gathering last month to celebrate the end of their A-Level results.
It was here that Jay Slater spent his Sunday evening clubbing, before disappearing 37km away in the mountain region of Rural de Teno national park.
With a ticket to the three-day New Rave Generation festival, he and his friends had been among the thousands of teenagers and young adults who walk along Veronica’s strip each night.
Charity supporting family had condemned social media speculation on Jay Slater disappearance
Monday 15 July 2024 15:16
Andy Gregory
In a statement issued on Sunday, Matthew Searle, chief executive of LBT Global, the charity supporting jay Slater’s family, had said: “What people are losing sight of here is that this is somebody’s son, somebody’s loved one, and he is missing.
“Whatever happened to him, its important to consider how the family will feel when horrific things are being posted online, and even sent directly to family and friends. What is important is to locate Jay, and the constant barrage of conspiracy theories and wild speculation simply delays that happening – it must end.
“If people do have any information, please send it via email to delta.ops@lbt.global. You can remain anonymous.”
How did Jay Slater meet the two men staying in Masca?
Monday 15 July 2024 15:02
Andy Gregory
Although Spanish police spoke to the two men who had taken him to the mountain area of Masca after he was reported missing, little is known about their background or why they were staying in such a remote area, my colleague Holly Evans reports.
He had met them while clubbing along Veronica’s strip, an area popular among British teenagers and young adults due to its row of late night bars and cheap drink deals.
At Papagayo’s nightclub, staff have clearly been told not to say anything in relation to the case. Snapchat images taken during the early hours of the morning on Sunday 16 June, showed Mr Slater partying with friends.
Jay Slater last seen ‘walking away fast’ from remote village
Monday 15 July 2024 14:45
Andy Gregory
Mr Slater was last seen “walking away fast” from the remote village of Buenavista del Norte after travelling there with two people he had met at a musical festival around 27 miles further south of the island on 17 June.
The apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, was last seen by a cafe owner, who said the teenager had asked her about bus times before deciding not to wait two hours for a service.
The cafe owner said she saw Mr Slater walk out of the village, and his phone was last detected in the Rural de Teno National Park. He had earlier called friends to say he was lost and had 1 per cent battery left on his phone.
My colleague Alexander Butler has more details:
Tenerife mapped: Where was Jay Slater last seen and where was the body found?
Monday 15 July 2024 14:36
Andy Gregory
Body found near the village of Masca
Monday 15 July 2024 14:05
Andy Gregory
The body believed to potentially be that of Jay Slater was found close to the village of Masca, near the last known location of his mobile phone.
Body found alongside Jay Slater’s possessions and clothes, charity says
Monday 15 July 2024 13:54
Andy Gregory
The body found in Tenerife was discovered with Jay Slater’s possessons and clothes, a charity supporting the family has said.
LBT Global said it was “saddened to announce that a body found in Tenerife does look to be that of Jay Slater”.
A statement said: “It is understood the body was found close to the site of his mobile phone’s last location.
“Although formal identification is yet to be carried out, the body was found with Mr Slater’s possessions and clothes. A post mortem and forensic enquiries will follow.
“LBT Global are supporting the family at this distressing time and ask for everyone to afford them space and privacy to come to terms with the news.”
Volunteers insisted ‘there is more we can do’ as new search began in Tenerife on Sunday
Monday 15 July 2024 13:33
Andy Gregory
A fresh team of volunteers had insisted “there is more we can do” to find Jay Slater as they set off on a flight to Tenerife on Sunday.
Netherlands-based non-profit Signi Zoekhonden has deployed a team of five people and four dogs to Tenerife on Sunday, a move which Jay’s mother Debbie Duncan said had taken “a lot of planning”.
Speaking as the team prepared to board a flight to Tenerife, volunteer Marieke Krans told the BBC: “We are very committed to come and we are confident in the dogs and in ourselves.
“Our dogs are trained to find people, both alive or dead, and have more skills. They can search underwater, and up mountains, whatever it may be. They are really creative and that means there is more we can do. We will go where the dogs lead us.”
