Body found in area where Jay Slater went missing in Tenerife

Rescuers in Tenerife found the body of a young man in the spot where British teenager Jay Slater went missing.

The Guardia Civil, Spain's national police force, reported that rescuers discovered remains in a statement.

19-year-old Slater, a bricklayer apprentice from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, disappeared after going to a music festival on the island a month ago. The last time he was spotted, he was walking by himself in the Rural de Teno national park, a rough and secluded area on the other side of the island from the vacation spot where he was staying with friends.

The announcement stated that this morning, members of the Police force called Guardia Civil who are part of the Mountain Rescue and Intervention Group found the deceased body of a young man in the Masca area in Buenavista del Norte.

The blog continued by saying that the person may have died from falling off a cliff in a remote area where their body was discovered.

The Spanish authorities mentioned that for 29 days, various groups of the Guardia Civil had been actively searching for the young man in the Masca area on a daily basis. They will be waiting for the autopsy results to confirm the reason for his death.

The authorities started looking for Slater when he went missing on 17 June. Spanish police said they were reducing the search efforts after two weeks, but the investigation was still ongoing.

Volunteer search teams were still searching for the teen, with some British citizens traveling to offer their assistance. Authorities had previously utilized helicopters, canine units, and drones in the search for Slater, but the difficult terrain had presented challenges for the rescue teams.

"It's really huge in this place, making it very challenging to search in such a steep terrain. However, we are putting in our best efforts," a rescue team member informed the Guardian. He described it as a "highly challenging area to search," with lots of vegetation covering many parts and various gaps and ravines to navigate.

In the most recent communication with his friends, Slater called to say he was lost, in need of water, and his phone battery was almost dead. Following the music festival, he had left with some individuals he had just met and was last spotted near the vacation rental they were staying at on the island.

Ofelia Medina Hernandez, the sister of the Airbnb owner, mentioned that Slater had inquired about the bus schedule to Los Cristianos. Later on, she observed him walking uphill in the opposite direction of the beach town.

"It can be risky wandering around this area, it's easy to get disoriented," she remarked. "He was strolling down the street when I caught a glimpse of him for the final time, up there... He was all by himself. He seemed to be moving at a regular pace, albeit a bit briskly."

Slater's mom, Debbie Duncan, shared in a statement on Sunday the sadness her family from Lancashire is still feeling. She expressed frustration over the many conspiracy theories and rumors circulating online since his disappearance, which have only added to their pain.

"As we near the one month mark since Jay went missing, our family is feeling indescribable pain. He is adored by all and shares a special connection with his family and countless friends," she expressed.

She emphasized the impact on the family when distressing content is shared online, stating that it needs to stop.

The announcement was made through LBT Global, a British charity that helps find missing people overseas and has been assisting the family.

As reported by the local newspaper in Tenerife, El Día, the area where the body was discovered was extremely difficult to reach. The regional government's emergency rescue service had to utilize a helicopter to assist in retrieving the remains.

A representative from the Guardia Civil stated that a body was discovered by a mountain rescue search team during a ground search operation.

LBT Global announced on Monday that the body was discovered near where Slater's cell phone was last located.

Even though the body has not been officially identified, it was discovered with Mr. Slater's belongings and clothing. A postmortem examination and forensic investigations will be conducted afterwards.