Missing Jay Slater’s mum was told by cops at 2am to rush to Tenerife where ‘every mother on island’ is looking for teen
THE WORRIED mum of missing Brit teen Jay Slater was told by cops who knocked on her door at 2am to board the next flight to Tenerife.
19-year-old Jay, from Lancashire, was on the island for a music festival and had stayed the night with people he had just met after a rave before disappearing on his way home on Monday.
Jay mysteriously vanished after making a frantic phone call at 8am on Monday to pal Lucy – saying he was in the “middle of nowhere”.
A desperate search has been launched for the teen with mountain rescue, firefighters, drones and police helicopters.
His mum Debbie Duncan and older brother Zak flew out on Tuesday to join the search.
Debbie’s partner Andy Watson, told Lancashire Live how police urged the family to get out to the island as soon as possible.
It comes as…
- Jay, 19, was first reported missing on Monday after vanishing on his way home from a rave the night before
- His stepdad Andy said Jay is “no mug” but could’ve taken a wrong turn on a 10-hour walk back to his hotel
- Mum Debbie said she was bombarded with prank calls from trolls claiming to have kidnapped her son
- A Coronation Street star with a connection to Jay’s family published an appeal for help to find him
- Jay’s last Snapchat post shared the night before he vanished showed him smiling with friends
He said: “It was about 2.30am in the early hours.
“The police said ‘the best thing you can do is get yourself out there’, we knew it was bad.
“This was his first holiday on his own. I’m just hoping he’s gone to another party.”
A stricken Debbie was flying out from Manchester Airport by 7am that morning.
Andy, 63, added “every mum who has a child out there has gone to help”.
Jay’s last known location was the Teno Rural Park in the northwest of the island – a popular hiking spot for tourists.
His last Snapchat post, sent the night before he disappeared, showed the teen smiling with friends.
It was filmed at around 8.30pm on Sunday night in the Arona area of Santa de Cruz on the south of the island, where the festival was held.
The huge search is set to continue early today near the village of Masca, in the northwest of the island near his last known location, Manchester Evening News reports.
It was about 2.30am in the early hours.The police said ‘the best thing you can do is get yourself out there’, we knew it was bad
Andy, Jay's stepdad
Debbie told press on Tuesday: “I’m obviously beside myself with worry which is why I’ve flown out here with my eldest son to do anything we can to help.
Speaking from the south of the island where Jay was staying she said: “Nothing’s ever going to be enough when your youngest son’s gone missing.
“But it sounds as though the police here are taking this very seriously and doing the best job they can.”
She also said her son was likely “disorientated” and didn’t realise it was a 10-hour walk back to his apartment in the south of the island.
“I just think it was a question of him not knowing the island well enough,” she added.
Jay, an apprentice bricklayer, had flown out to Tenerife on the weekend with friends Lucy and Brad for the festival.
He left the rave on Sunday with two other young men he had met to continue the evening at their apartment, Manchester Evening News reports.
Temperatures of up to 26 degrees Celsius were recorded around the time he went missing the next day.
Mum-of-two Debbie said she has been bombarded with horrific prank calls during the search, from trolls claiming to have kidnapped Jay.
She said Brits with “northern accents” were calling her from blocked numbers, claiming they had her son captive and were keeping him because he owed them money.
The stricken mum said: “I just don’t know why people would want to do things like this. I’ve been getting lots of prank calls. It’s sickening.
“People ringing me and saying they’ve got Jay because he owes them money.”
A Civil Guard spokeswoman in Tenerife said on Tuesday: “A specialist Mountain Rescue and Intervention Group called the Greim has been mobilised.
“A police helicopter is also out and focusing on the area around the village of Masca.
“Other emergency services including firefighters have also been mobilised.
“Everything possible is being done to try to find the missing man.”
Coronation Street star's plea for help
By Anita Markoff, TV reporter
VICKY Entwhistle, who used to play Janice Battersby on ITV soap Coronation Street, shared a heartbreaking post on Tuesday as the search continues for missing teen Jay Slater.
Vicky shared one of the missing posters circulating online, adding: “My God Mother’s Grandson has gone missing. His Mother has flown out 7pm. To join the police search.
“Hope to God they find him. Please pray for him.”
Fans flocked to the comments to offer reassurance, with one saying: “Saw this on Facebook Vicky, it seems to be getting shared far and wide, hopefully there will be some good news imminently with all the love and support out there, just makes it so much harder when abroad! Love and prayers for you all.”
Another offered: “We are in Tenerife if we can help in any way let us know.”
The people Jay met on Sunday night were staying in an apartment “in the middle of nowhere”, his friend Lucy told the Manchester Evening News.
Jay told Lucy he “didn’t know where he was” and he needed a drink of water before his final phone call cut off.
Lucy said: “He’s gone on a night out, he’s gone to a friend’s house, someone that he has met on holiday.
“One of the people he has met has hired a car out of here, so he’s driven them back to his apartment and Jay has gone there not realising how far away it is.
“He’s ended up out in the middle of nowhere. Jay was obviously thinking he would be able to get home from there.”
A spokesman for a regional emergency coordination centre said Jay was first reported missing at 9.04am on Monday.
The Brit was last seen wearing a white t-shirt and shorts with a black bag on him.