Jay Slater: Normality returns to village where teenager last seen

The missing person posters are still pasted to the walls and lampposts, and family and friends of Jay Slater remain committed to finding him.

But as of now, the official search for Mr Slater is over, according to police on Tenerife.

For two weeks officers and rescuers have scoured the mountainous area near to where the 19-year-old, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, was last seen.

The Guardia Civil has said that the investigation would remain open and that any relevant new information would be looked into.

But it is clear that the decision to call off the search marks a significant milestone.

Mr Slater has not been seen by the friend he went on holiday with since he got into a car with two British men in the early hours of 17 June.

He reportedly went with the men to an Airbnb in the remote village of Masca, about 40 minutes’ drive away.

Mr Slater left the Airbnb property later that morning, and headed off into the mountains seemingly hoping to catch a bus or get a taxi, according to calls with his friends.

In his final call, at about 08:30 BST, he told his friend Lucy Law that he was lost, needed water and had 1% battery on his phone.

He has not been heard from since.

The Guardia Civil has since confirmed the two men have been spoken to but are “not relevant” to the investigation.

Masca, the area that was the focus of the search, is a rugged, mountainous landscape in the north-west of the island, far from the bustling nightlife of the south.

Most visitors to the area are hikers and nature lovers.

The town has now returned to normal, with both foreign tourists and locals passing through.

Most of those spoken to by the BBC did not know about Mr Slater’s disappearance.

The only indication that there is a missing person investigation are the few posters put up by Jay’s family in the nearby town of Santiago del Teide.

The scene contrasts with Saturday when firefighters, police and local volunteers assembled in Masca, before fanning out over the surrounding hillsides.

They searched caves, ravines and paths, looking for any clue that could help shed light on what happened.

It turned out to be the culmination of a two week long search effort that had used helicopters, drones and dogs.

Friends of Mr Slater’s family say his parents and brother will continue their search for the time being, and that they hope to meet authorities to find out more about the status of the investigation.

They also said that the family would continue the search themselves, together with British climber and TikToker Paul Arnott, who has been on the island for the past week.

He joined in Saturday’s search and has been posting daily videos of his efforts to his 230,000 followers.