Jay Slater's dad says police theory 'doesn't make sense' and admits thinking: 'Has somebody got him?'

Jay Slater's dad has dismissed a major theory in the search for his son

Facebook/PA
Holly Bishop

By Holly Bishop


Published: 24/06/2024

- 11:20

Updated: 24/06/2024

- 12:33

The search and rescue operation run by Spanish police has entered its eighth day

The father of missing teenager Jay Slater has expressed frustration at the police search for his son, claiming their theory “doesn’t make sense”.

Warren Slater is currently in Tenerife searching for the missing 19-year-old who was last seen a week ago.


The teenager flew from Lancashire to the Canary Islands for a music festival but disappeared after he went to stay with people he met during a night out on June 16.

During his final call to his friend Lucy Law at 8am local time last Monday, the 19-year-old said his phone had only one per cent battery, he was thirsty and he did not know where he was.

Slater/Pictures of the searchJay Slater's dad has dismissed a major theory in the search for his sonFacebook/PA

His last location showed he was in the Rural de Teno Park - an area popular among hikers. He has not been seen since and the search and rescue operation is now its eighth day.

Slater’s father told the Manchester Evening News: “You think, has somebody got him? Because no matter if you were drunk or whatever, you don't go off that road up there.

“I knew right from when I went up there that he wouldn't have gone [off that road]. He isn't stupid. When I saw the police I asked them, seriously, 'would you go off that road?' and I think it woke them up a bit.

“It started out as it being a lad who had gone walking and got lost, or that he may have fallen. But it doesn't make sense. Nobody would walk off that road. Why would he have gone uphill?”

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Jay Slater search teamsSearch teams have been looking for British teen Jay Slater for eight daysPA

Hargreaves added that after six days of searching and having been on the mountain themselves, they believe he will not be found there.

“We aren’t giving up,” she said.

“It's dangerous; it's a massive mountain. It's not just a hill. It was only when I went up there myself [that I noticed]. People that go out to a party don't come up here.”

The remarks come a day after police in Tenerife honed in on specific buildings in the region to try and locate the missing teenager.

In the middle of the sparse bushland, with a terrain that has been described as “a complete nightmare,” rescuers have focused their search efforts on two small brick buildings.

Jay SlaterJay Slater flew from Lancashire to the Canary Islands for a music festival when he disappeared PA Wire
Jay Slater mapLast known location of Jay SlaterPA

A firefighter involved in the search admitted that the terrain makes it particularly "difficult" to find people.

Meanwhile, Slater’s mum, Debbie Duncan, is also in Tenerife and said she will stay there “as long as it takes” until he is found.

Duncan, 55, has recently revealed that a person has come forward to say that they saw Slater walking down a road with two other men on Monday evening.

Speaking to MailOnline, Duncan said: “He was with two men looking a bit worse for wear, and they were by a church. This guy has come forward and told the police about it and they are looking into it. We don't know if it was Jay for sure, but it's a start.

“They said it was about 6.00pm which is ten hours after he was seen by the lady in the village. But if it was him what was he doing there and who are these two men?

“All I know is that I am going to stay here for as long as it takes, I'm not going home unless it's with Jay. I'm not going anywhere until they find him.”

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