Police are "keeping their options open" on the mysterious disappearance of Jay Slater, a former officer has told GB News.
The search has now entered day six after the 19-year-old went missing in Tenerife earlier in the week.
The teenager disappeared when attempting to walk back to his accommodation after missing a bus.
He was last heard from on Monday when he called his friend, Lucy Law.
Jay Slater flew from Lancashire to the Canary Islands for a music festival when he disappeared PA WireSpeaking to GB News, former police officer Oliver Lawrence said "concerns have begun to grow" as the teen has been "without food or water."
The officer explained: "There are obviously greater concerns held for the welfare of Mr Slater, who's been missing since early Monday morning when he messaged a friend to advise that he only had one per cent of battery on his phone and was lost in the mountains, which is an incredibly vast area and needed water.
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Mountains of Tenerife where Jay Slater disappearedPA"So we know the circumstances under which he went missing weren't brilliant at all, in terms of him needing water, and he was probably getting tired, disorientated and got lost.
"This is a vast area that local police are searching. There has been some early criticism of their communication with the family and the efforts they're putting into certain areas, and we know in the last 48 hours, Lancashire Police have reached out to local authorities to provide some level of assistance.
"That assistance has been turned down at the moment and the search continues. But as this goes on, obviously the concerns begin to grow as the welfare of Mr Slater."
GB News host Stephen Dixon asked whether it is now time to "look at why he was there" as conspiracy theories have swirled online.
The former police officer claimed that police are"keeping their options open"
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Lawrence said: "There will certainly be an investigation going on into the background in trying to identify what was he doing leading up to his disappearance and the people that he was with."
He added: "The police will be keeping all their options open. But at this stage, I think it's a search and rescue operation.
"Hopefully, Mr Slater is found alive and well as the days go on, one has to consider whether this becomes a recovery operation."
Slater was last seen getting into a silver car with those he had met at the festival, before ringing his friend Lucy at around 8.15am to say he had missed the bus and was walking home, a journey that would talk approximately 11 hours on foot.
Jay Slater's last location shows the Rural de Teno Park - an area popular among hikersGettySpeaking to The Mirror, Slater's friend Lucy Law claimed the two people he was last with have "left the country", urging British Police to speak to them.
She said: "We need British police here. I just want to find my mate. He’s been missing three days. It’s not looking good now.
"We feel as though it’s down to us to find him and that we’re doing more than the police."
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesman said: "We are supporting the family of a British man who has been reported missing in Spain and are in contact with the local authorities."