Tenerife’s missing: Other people who vanished on island where Jay Slater disappeared
Sign Up For Free Real-time Breaking News Alerts Via Email!
Get Free Breaking News Updates By Signing Up With Us
Please sign up for The Independent's email list to stay informed about special deals, upcoming events, and important updates. Rest assured that we respect your privacy - you can review our privacy policy for more information.
Travelers seeking a relaxed and enjoyable vacation in the sunshine have been flocking to Tenerife, an island, for many years.
From the lively atmosphere of the brightly lit street of Playa De Las Americas to the peaceful walks through cactus-covered canyons under the sun, there is a variety of activities to suit all tastes.
However, despite its stunning cliff faces and rugged landscape, the island also harbors perilous regions that are impossible to reach.
While the police are still searching frantically for any leads in the disappearance of teenager Jay Slater, who has been missing for over a week, there are other individuals, many of them from the UK, who have also gone missing in Tenerife. Some have disappeared without a clear explanation.
Find out the most recent information about the efforts to find Jay Slater by clicking here.
Billy Bennett went missing during his vacation in Tenerife in 1985. The young man, who was 18 at the time, was last spotted on December 1st of that same year.
The young person from Holborn, London, had made arrangements to travel to Tenerife with a friend. However, his friend cancelled at the last moment, so Mr. Bennett decided to go on the trip by himself.
He is remembered for staying at the Las Americas resort, and was often seen at the Sergeant Peppers nightclub.
Mr Bennett's pal flew over after with his girlfriend, saying he only saw Billy a few times. One time, he said Bennett looked very drunk and said he lost all his money and had nowhere to sleep.
Despite a thorough investigation, it is still not known where Mr. Bennett is located.
Ricky D’Cotta, who hails from London, traveled to Tenerife in March 1987 to experience the vibrant club scene of the eighties and ended up staying there permanently.
The young adult got a job at Sgt Peppers Disco Pub in the Playa De Las Americas vacation area.
Mr. D'Cotta reached out to his family for the last time in October 1987, when he called to announce his upcoming return home. Since that time, his family has not received any communication from him.
Soon after he vanished, Mr. D’Cotta's passport and a bag were given to the authorities.
In 2001, a documentary aired on Channel 4 called Looking for Ricky that shared the discovery of five bodies, one of which may have belonged to Mr. D’Cotta. Despite DNA tests conducted on samples from his family, the results were not definitive. According to Mr. D’Cotta’s close friend, he was possibly murdered during a botched robbery of a drug dealer in the area.
The documentary looks into different occasions where people claim to have seen him. One story says he was walking around popular areas of the island pretending to be Jesus. Another story says he was seen wearing a fancy white suit, and another says he was spotted in a clothing store in south London.
Even after extensive searching and pleas for help, his mother and sister are still stuck in a state of uncertainty, torn between sadness and optimism. Unfortunately, Mr. D’Cotta has yet to be located.
This month marks the 20th anniversary of Mr. Ainley's disappearance from Lancashire.
At the age of 24, he disappeared in June 2004 while living in Tenerife. He had relocated to the tourist destination of Playa de las Americas earlier that year. He was employed as a promoter at the Sportsman bar located in a bustling section referred to as "the patch".
Mr Ainley went to bars and clubs with a friend, and then they had a meal at Merlins Chinese buffet restaurant.
Kevin was last seen heading towards the Sportsman bar after dining. This happened on the evening France won against England with a last-minute penalty during the UEFA European Championships.
When Mr. Ainley did not show up for work, his friends became worried and contacted the police and his family in the United Kingdom. His personal items and passport were discovered in his apartment afterwards.
During a 2016 discussion with the BBC, Gemma Brooke, his sister, expressed how the family was in urgent need of information.
"It's not an exaggeration to say that we have endured a terrible 12 years," she stated. "Somebody must have some information."
Mr. Ainley is around 5 feet 10 inches tall, has a medium build, blue eyes, and short brown hair. He was dressed in a dark T-shirt and a blue Ellesse tracksuit. He also has unique tattoos on his arms, including the name 'Kevin', a small devil, and a Native American woman.
In 2005, two officers from Lancashire went to Tenerife to assist local police in their search, but they were not able to find any significant clues.
They asked for help from anyone who may have seen a potential argument between Mr. Ainley and the bouncers at Café Del Moar when he disappeared in the early morning.
Peter Wilson, a father of two children, who is 34 years old, made a mistake while trying to find his way back home from a night out in Tenerife. Sadly, his body was not found for nearly two years.
Peter went to Tenerife on March 22nd, 2019 from Dublin. He stayed at the Malibu Park Hotel in Costa Adeja, located in Santa Cruz.
The following day, he visited the nearby Playa de las Americas resort to watch the Ireland vs. Gibraltar match. Later in the afternoon, he returned to his hotel before taking a taxi back to the popular tourist area that evening.
Mr Wilson was last spotted near the location where the taxi left him, before mysteriously disappearing. His belongings were discovered in his room.
His family, who were very upset, created a Facebook group and made several trips to the Spanish island in hopes of finding him. There were concerns that he had been taken against his will or had been killed, but his body was finally discovered when it was revealed that he had fallen down a steep incline next to a shopping center.
Jacky Wilson, who was devastated, shared with the Irish Sunday Mirror in 2021: "My nephews contacted us on January 11 to inform us that human remains had been found in Tenerife."
We were completely devastated and heartbroken on that day, as we were still holding onto a small sliver of hope that he would return.
The initial hope was crushed, but we felt a huge sense of relief after the surprise. It had been almost two years since we started looking, and now we were finally able to bring him back home.
Peter passed away as a result of an unfortunate accident. There is no evidence of any wrongdoing, which gives us some comfort. It appears that he became confused and lost his sense of direction.
If you have any details about the cases mentioned, please reach out to the National Missing Persons Helpline at +44 (0) 20 8392 4545.
