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Jay Slater’s mum tells of ‘agony’ as searches fail to find son – BBC News

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5 months ago

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Jay Slater’s mum tells of ‘agony’ as searches fail to find son – BBC News

Image source, Family handout

Image caption, Jay Slater with his mother before his disappearance

  • Author, Stewart Whittingham & PA Media
  • Role, BBC News, Lancashire

The mother of missing teenager Jay Slater has told of her “pain and agony” after searches failed to find her son in Tenerife.

The 19-year-old from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, has been missing since 17 June, after he told a friend he was lost in the mountains.

His mother Debbie Duncan thanked police officers who she said had “worked tirelessly up in the mountains where Jay’s last phone call was traced”.

Image caption, Ms Duncan said Spanish police officers had been working tirelessly to find her son

In a statement, issued through the British overseas missing persons charity LBT Global, Ms Duncan 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.”

Mr Slater went to the holiday island on June 13 to attend the NRG music festival with two friends before his disappearance.

It was the teenager’s first holiday abroad without parents.

He disappeared after setting off to walk back to his accommodation on the holiday island after travelling to an Airbnb with two friends he had met at the event.

Helicopters, drones and search dogs were deployed to find the apprentice bricklayer, but to no avail.

His last known location was the Rural de Teno Park in the north of the Canary Island – which was about an 11-hour walk from his accommodation.

Ms Duncan said of the police: “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.”

On Friday, the Guardia Civil had appealed for volunteer associations, such as firefighters and individual volunteers who were experts in rugged terrain to assist in a “busqueda masiva” – massive search – on Saturday.

The search in the village of Masca, near his last-known location, took in a steep rocky area, including ravines, trails and paths.

Two men said to have rented the Airbnb in Masca, to which Jay had travelled after the festival, were later ruled “not relevant” to the case, according to reports.

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