A major search operation by police in Spain to find Jay Slater has come to an end with no fresh clues about the missing 19-year-old Brit. Search and rescue teams have called an end to their efforts in the north west of Tenerife in treacherous terrain after nearly two weeks. We will be posting updates about the situation in our live blog below.
Jay Slater's family and loved ones have vowed to stay in Tenerife and carry on looking for the missing teen, saying that "we will continue to search for him. Jay disappeared on June 17 after staying at Airbnb accommodation in the small village of Masca with two men who have been ruled out of being involved in his disappearance.
On Friday, the Guardia Civil appealed for volunteer associations, such as firefighters, and individual volunteers who were experts in rugged terrain to assist in a “busqueda masiva”, or massive search, on Saturday but that never materialised as only six people came forward to help with officials, reports The Mirror.
READ MORE
Jay Slater's dad explains why he hasn't joined the massive search operation
'Mediterranean heatwave' looming as UK weather map turns red
And now the Civil Guard today said the search, which has involved sniffer dogs, a helicopter and mountain rescue experts looking in mountainous terrain near Masca, had been brought to an end. A spokeswoman said: “The search operation has now finished although the case remains open."
A well-placed source added: “The daily operation which has been going on in and around Masca close to where Jay was last seen has been brought to an end. If any information comes in that merits a new search though it will be acted upon. My understanding is Jay’s parents have been informed of what obviously is a major development. Nothing of any relevance was found during yesterday’s large-scale search.”
This is a live blog and we will keep you updated below.
Top cop urges family to spend GoFundMe money on key next step
A top cop who investigated Madeleine McCann and Nicola Bulley's disappearances has urged Jay Slater's family to fund a private search after Spanish authorities stopped looking for the missing British teen.
Former British police officer Mark Williams-Thomas, who is working with Jay's family in Tenerife, has revealed today that he has advised them to bring in a team of experts to carry out their own private search to keep looking for their son and brother.
![](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article33138690.ece/ALTERNATES/s510b/1_JAY-MAIN-EXCL.jpg)
Speaking from the island in the hours after the search officially came to an end, the 54-year-old TV sleuth told the Mirror: "The police have put considerable resources into searching for Jay and of course it is very disappointing for the family that the search by the police has now ended.
"I have advised the family to use the GoFundMe money to bring in a large team of experts to flood the area from where we know Jay last was."
You can read more about that here:
How search for Jay Slater brought out the worst in UK 'amateur sleuths'
Sadly, the search for Jay Slater has been surrounded by an online furore of fake news and outlandish theories since almost day one.
Such developments are hardly ever likely to help the authorities in their search, and The Mirror has spoken to a number of experts on exactly how much damage these people can do while chasing audience engagement online.
Consultant psychiatrist and psychotherapist Dr Pablo Jeczmien has said people's desire to be part of a missing person's inquiry by having their say online, is all about them and their need to be the centre of what's happened, and has little to do with those who have vanished.
And retired chief inspector Martyn Underhill, who worked alongside the missing person's inquiry to help find mum-of-two Nicola Bulley, agrees that the rise of the internet has brought with it a tsunami of armchair detectives, all thinking they have the nugget of information to crack the latest case - hampering genuine investigations.
You can read more on the Mirror's EXCLUSIVE analysis on this here:
![](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article33137620.ece/ALTERNATES/s510b/4_THP_015023JPG.jpg)
Jay Slater's mum says GoFundMe money to be spent on finding son
Jay Slater's mum has said that money from a GoFundMe page will be spent on trying to find her missing son.
A GoFundMe appeal Get Jay Slater Home was set up by friend Lucy Law and had raised more than £43,000 as the police search came to an end.
Jay's mother, Debbie Duncan, travelled to the island after he went missing on June 17 and later said that the money raised online would be used to support mountain rescue teams, and to cover her own accommodation and food costs.
And following the decision by Spanish police to call off the search, Jay's family has said that they would continue to look for him. Rachel Hargreaves is a close pal of Jay's heartbroken parents Debbie Duncan, 55, and Warren Slater, 58, and is in the island helping them find the 19-year-old. She said: "Nothing has changed. We will continue to search for him."
TikTok star blasts search by police for missing Jay Slater as 'ridiculous'
A TikTok star who has helped in the search for Jay Slater blasted Tenerife police, describing them as "ridiculous".
Paul Arnott, 29, was one of six volunteers on Saturday to join the searching for the 19-year-old, who was confirmed missing on June 17. Amateur mountaineer Paul says he got so impatient with delays to the search he asked for his name to be taken off the search and told police he would conduct his own sweep of the area.
The Bedfordshire resident had paid £400 to fly from Britain to Tenerife and joined the search, where he said he was left waiting "ages" for police to begin their official search. He told cops: "Take my name off. I want to go search. This is ridiculous."
Paul added: "Guys, I've literally been waiting for ages now. This is a massive PR thing I'm telling you now. I'm gonna ask them in a second to take my name off the list and do my own thing. This is ridiculous. Everyone's in their cars, it's all chat, chat, chat. My morning's been wasted. I've been so quiet about this, I'm not doing it anymore. I'm sick of this c***."
The TikTok star aired his frustrations at what was happening as he had hoped for a "productive" morning searching for the missing teenager, but Paul has slammed the Tenerife police for the "absolute madness" of their search. He said: "I'm so blooming stressed and annoyed about what's actually happened. I thought today was going to be so productive. I thought so many people were going to show up.
Jay Slater's family has said that it will 'continue to search for him' in Tenerife
The family of missing Jay Slater have vowed to stay in Tenerife and carry on looking for him despite Spanish police calling off their search for the teenager after 14 days.
Rachel Hargreaves is a close pal of Jay's heartbroken parents Debbie Duncan, 55, and Warren Slater, 58, and is in the island helping them find the 19-year-old. She said: "Nothing has changed. We will continue to search for him."
Ms Hargreaves' is in charge of the family's official Facebook group, set up to gather information about Jay's disappearance. Her son Brad, 19, was on holiday with the apprentice bricklayer when he disappeared on Monday June 17.
Debbie, a school finance officer, is understood to have been told about the police's decision shortly before cops confirmed it at 10am on Sunday morning. The announcement came almost exactly 24 hours after rescue workers, including police, fire and mountain officers, launched a final push to find him in the mountainous area where his phone had last 'pinged' on Monday June 17.
Pal tells of final promise that Jay Slater made to him
A best friend of Jay Slater has told of the missing teen's final promise to him during their last conversation before the phone call was cut short.
The British teenager, 19, who had been in Tenerife for the three-day NRG festival, went missing on the morning of June 17. He was last located walking from an Airbnb where he had travelled with two British men he had met at the festival - who have since reportedly flown back to the UK.
Appearing on the ITV show, Brad detailed the last promise Jay made to him before their conversation ended. On the programme, Brad explained: "He was on the phone and he goes: 'I've got walk and go all down that road'. He added that Jay had promised to call him back but hung up as "someone else was ringing him."
Jay Slater's family are 'heartbroken and devastated' search is called off
Jay Slater's family are reportedly "heartbroken and devastated" that a search in Tenerife has now been called off.
The 19-year-old went missing nearly two weeks ago in the northwest of the island and today Spanish police have said that the search to find him was ending with no trace of him.
“The search operation has now finished although the case remains open," said a police spokeswoman. And now a family source has said that they are "heartbroken and devastated" by the news, reported The Sun.
Two men who stayed with Jay Slater at Airbnb are of 'no relevance' to investigation
A Spanish policeman who led the mountain search for missing Jay Slater said that the two British men who stayed with him at an Airbnb before he disappeared are not part of the investigation.
Cipriano Martin, head of the Civil Guard’s Greim mountain rescue unit, spoke before the search for the 19-year-old was brought to an end.
He said: "Those men have been spoken to and they don’t have any relevance whatsoever for the case." He added that police were in regular contact with Jay's family: “All week they’ve been participating because we’ve seen them and they’ve seen us in several places. They’ve been actively participating.”
Police were also reportedly probing claims of a nightclub scuffle over a stolen Rolex in the hours before the teenager vanished. A fight broke out outside Papagayo Beach Club - where Jay was pictured partying - and it involved a man who claimed his Rolex watch had been stolen, it's been claimed.
Jay Slater tells why he didn't join search for his son in dangerous terrain
Jay Slater's dad said he was "leaving it to the professionals" rather than hunt himself in dangerous terrain for the missing teenager.
Warren Slater, 58, conceded he has been trolled for not joining the massive search operation for the 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer, who vanished nearly two weeks ago in Tenerife.
"I’m grateful to those who have come out here because you can see just how dangerous it is and what gets me is the trollers who are having a go at us for not searching," Warren said before the search was called off today.
"It’s not the local park, these are big mountains, the terrain is dangerous, put yourself in our position would you go out in these conditions? It’s tough, it’s hard, we are leaving it to the professionals and I’m grateful for those who have turned out today and I want to thank them for what they are doing.”
But the search through the rugged Rural de Teno garnered nothing of significant note. Warren continued: "I just thought he’s gone out had a drink and ended up at some girl’s place as we all did when we were younger, he’s our youngest I just want him home.
"We just still can’t believe it; it’s been so tough on us, and I want people to think about us as parents and what we are going through. All those trollers having a go at us, they don’t know how we feel, why don’t they come up here and have a look and see for themselves how dangerous it is."
![](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article33137960.ece/ALTERNATES/s510b/6_JaySlaterDadBrotherWarrenZakSlater07JPGjp.jpg)
Failure of 'massive search' to try and find Jay Slater on Saturday
A huge search had been planned for Saturday to help locate missing Brit teenager Jay Slater in the northwest of Tenerife but it only led to six volunteers turning up.
It was hoped that a renewed effort to locate the 19-year-old from Lancashire would provide answers to the mystery of what happened to Jay who disappeared on June 17 in the northwest of Tenerife.
Despite the publicity about the search, there has been little uptake in the local media and only six volunteers turned up to help with nearly 30 professional searches, including police, fire and mountain rescue officers, as the operation entered its 13th day.
Asked about the underwhelming turnout, Cipriano Martin, head of the Civil Guard’s Greim mountain rescue unit, said: "Well, we’ve been searching for lots of days and with the search today, we’re talking about 30 people.”
Cactus clue followed in hunt for missing teen Jay Slater before police call off search
Rescue teams searched a ravine near to where Jay Slater disappeared due a clue about a cactus but they failed to find the missing teen.
During his phone call to friend Lucy, Jay mentioned he had cut his leg on a cactus. Civil Guard officers said this led to them to search a nearby ravine close to where his phone last pinged.
Addressing reporters at a press conference at Mirador La Cruz de Hilda by the search site on Saturday, officers said: "Another thing that leads us to that conclusion is that when he was on the phone to Lucy, he got caught by a cactus and he was worried that they might be poisonous - she said, don't worry, it won't be poisonous - but for that, he had to have left the main road," authorities said.
"If you were walking along the main road you wouldn't get pricked by a cactus. To do that, you would have had to have left the main road and be halfway up the mountain."
Head of rescue operation tells of challenge that search teams faced
A head of a mountain rescue unit that has been searching for Jay Slater has told why he believes the missing teen is in treacherous terrain near to where his phone last pinged.
Cipriano Martin, head of the Civil Guard’s Greim mountain rescue unit, speaking before the search was called off said the operation was based on the information that had. This included the clue that Jay must have left the road as he told his friend Lucy Law before his phone battery ran out that he had been cut by a cactus.
He also said: “Masca’s been looked at, the Juan Lopez ravine, the Retamar ravine, Las Aneas ravine, Los Carrizales ravine, in all the areas we know he’s been in because his mobile phone coverage is undeniable and places him there.
“But we have a difficulty which is that once the phone goes off the antennas stop picking it up, so that while he's walking, and we don’t know how long he was walking for, no phone mast is going to detect it, and as the technicians tell us, they look for mobiles and not people, so we’re at that point as well, that we have certain information and we have to go on that.”
Jay Slater search area left deserted as police suddenly end search for missing Brit
Spanish police looking for missing teen Jay Slater formally called off the search at 10am on Sunday morning and have already left the area.
Reporters arriving at 9am at the Hilda viewpoint on Sunday - which until then had been a hive of activity and a base for police and mountain search crews - found it eerily deserted.
The scene was a complete contrast to just 24 hours earlier when around 30 rescue workers and dozens of journalists converged on the area following an appeal for help from volunteers by Tenerife's top cop Angel Sanz Coronado.
On Saturday officers were still claiming they would carry on the search and there were no plans to end it. However, in a sign that people were losing hope, just six volunteers turned up, including British TikToker and amateur mountaineer Paul Arnott, 29, who is helping the family.
Arnott, from Bedforshire, had dismissed Saturday's search operation as "ridiculous", "madness" and "a massive PR thing". Speaking after it began around an hour later than advertised, Mr Arnott he had fumed: "I thought today was going to be so productive. I thought so many people were going to show up.
"I thought it was going to be really organised and I thought it was going to get out, not start the search when the hottest point of the day is." Mr Arnott, who had paid £400 to fly from Britain to join the search, added: "I just thought it was going to be massive and it's not. It's absolute madness guys. This is ridiculous. This is mad."
![](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article33137655.ece/ALTERNATES/s510b/1_JaySlaterSearchAreaDeserted01.jpg)
Guardia Civil statement in full as Spanish police call off search
A search for Jay Slater has now been called off after nearly two weeks in Tenerife and here is the police statement in full.
“The search operation has now finished although the case remains open," said a police spokeswoman. And a well-placed source said: “The daily operation which has been going on in and around Masca close to where Jay was last seen has been brought to an end. If any information comes in that merits a new search though it will be acted upon.
“My understanding is Jay’s parents have been informed of what obviously is a major development. Nothing of any relevance was found during yesterday’s large-scale search.”
Jay Slater's best friend says he heard teen 'slipping on rocks' in final phone conversation
A best friend of Jay Slater's has shared the last conversation he had with the missing teen where he heard him sliding on rocks.
Lancashire-born Jay vanished after attending a music festival on the Spanish island on Monday, June 17. He was last heard from by his friends, as he told them he was hours away from his accommodation with a very low phone battery.
Appearing on This Morning, Brad Hargreaves opened up about their last conversation after becoming one of the last people to have spoken to Jay prior to his disappearance. Brad, 19, was emotional as he spoke of his friend's "zest for life" and said that Jay wasn't initially worried about finding his way back to his friends.
"He was on the phone and he goes: 'I've got walk and go all down that road'", Brad said, adding that Jay had promised to video call him back but hung up as "someone else was ringing him."
Brad added that Jay, according to him, would have avoided going down the road he had mentioned during their phone call as he speculated the savvy lad would have taken a safer path.
The teen revealed that he could also hear Jay's feet slide on the rocks, signalling to him his friend had "went off the road.. That's how I knew he went off the road because, you know when you walk on gravel, or whatever it is, you can... you know what I mean, stones."
![](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article33137548.ece/ALTERNATES/s510b/1_Screenshot-2024-06-28-at-215014JPG.jpg)
Search for missing Brit in Tenerife ends in dramatic development
Police looking for missing Brit Jay Slater in Tenerife have ended their search after nearly two weeks.
The Civil Guard today (Sunday) said the near fortnight-long search, which has involved sniffer dogs, a helicopter and mountain rescue experts looking in mountainous terrain near the village of Masca, had been brought to an end. A spokeswoman said: “The search operation has now finished although the case remains open."
A well-placed source added: “The daily operation which has been going on in and around Masca close to where Jay was last seen has been brought to an end. If any information comes in that merits a new search though it will be acted upon.
“My understanding is Jay’s parents have been informed of what obviously is a major development. Nothing of any relevance was found during yesterday’s large-scale search.”
Jay Slater's dad 'disappointed' only one Brit volunteer shows up for 'massive search'
Jay Slater's dad is "disappointed" that only one British volunteer joined what was aimed to be a "massive search" in Tenerife on Saturday for his missing son.
Warren, 58, along with Jay’s older brother Zak, visited the search effort by the village of Masca in treacherous terrain with only six volunteers appearing to have joined with around 30 professionals. Authorities on the island had attempted to drum up publicity for a major search effort on Saturday but there was little uptake locally.
And TikTokker Paul Arnott, who is a climbing expert, was the only British person who volunteered. “It’s a bit disappointing that there are no British apart from Paul, but I suppose to them he’s just a British lad who’s come out here and got drunk," said Warren. “I’m grateful to those who have come out here because you can see just how dangerous it is and what gets me is the trollers who are having a go at us for not searching.
“It’s not the local park, these are big mountains, the terrain is dangerous, put yourself in our position would you go out in these conditions? It’s tough, it’s hard, we are leaving it to the professionals and I’m grateful for those who have turned out today and I want to thank them for what they are doing.”