Death of Jay Slater
Jay Slater | |
|---|---|
| Disappeared | 17 June 2024 Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain |
| Status | Missing for 4 months and 24 days |
| Parents |
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On the morning of 17 June 2024, 19-year-old Jay Slater from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire disappeared on the island of Tenerife, Spain after attempting to walk eleven hours back to his accommodation as a result of missing a bus. Slater had attended a music festival in south Tenerife with two friends the day before his disappearance.
Local Guardia Civil police and rescuers are searching a 2,000-foot-deep ravine in the Teno Nature Reserve, as well as Masca and surrounding areas in the hunt for Slater.[citation needed]
Background
Slater is an apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle,[1] a town in Lancashire, England. Slater's mother, Debbie Duncan, flew to Tenerife the day after his disappearance.[2]
Disappearance
Slater attended the three-day NRG Music Festival in south Tenerife on the afternoon of 16 June 2024. After the festival, Slater went to the mountain village of Masca with two men he met at the festival.
On 17 June, at around 08:00, Ofelia Medina Hernandez – the last known person in contact with Slater – told him that his bus was due at 10:00. Hernandez recalled driving past Slater as he "walked fast".
Fifty minutes later, at 08:50, Slater called his friend Lucy Mae Law to tell her that he was "lost", as he walked from Masca to where he was staying in Los Cristianos on the south coast of Tenerife. Slater said that his phone had 1% battery and that he needed water. His last known location is the Rural de Teno National Park. At 09:04, Slater was reported missing.[1]
Responses
On 21 June, Lancashire Constabulary published a statement regarding Slater's disappearance. It said they have "specialist officers who are continuing to support Jay's family", and have offered support to the Guardia Civil who rejected it, however, the offer remains open and they will be in contact should their position change.[3]
On 22 June, the NRG (New Rave Generation) Music Festival which Slater attended before his disappearance released a statement.[4]
On 25 June, police officers looking for Slater stumbled across a Scottish hiker in a ravine. The 51-year-old was reported missing on 21 June after failing to return from a hike near where Slater was last seen. Officers stated that he would not have managed to get out of the ravine "by his own means" due to the "difficulty and lack of communication" in the area,[5] but the hiker stated that he was experienced and did not need rescuing.[6]
Social media
Slater's friend Lucy started a GoFundMe page to support his friends and family who had travelled to Tenerife while the search continued, which has raised over £27,000 as of 22 June. Slater's mother, Debbie Duncan, said that she did not want any fundraising pages to be made and has urged people not to donate to any. Following the start of the fundraiser, GoFundMe published a statement, with a spokesperson saying 'all campaigns are under review and no money will be transferred unless we can verify it goes straight to his family'.[7] This came after widespread online speculation about the intention of how the money would be used. Facebook group administrator Rachel Louise Harg said the funds raised would go to Slater's friends and family staying in Tenerife.[8]
The social media response also included people sharing details of a serious attack on a 17-year-old in 2021 by a gang of eight people including Slater, using machetes, an axe and a golf club, in which they split the victim's skull. Slater had been sentenced in August 2023 to an 18-month community order with 25 days of rehabilitation activities and 150 hours of unpaid work.[9] However, the victim of that attack responded on social media, telling people to "give it a rest" and "help find him".[10]
References
- ^ a b "Jay Slater: Last known movements of British teen missing in Tenerife - and mother's fear about what has happened". Sky News. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
- ^ Al-Othman, Hannah (22 June 2024). "Mother of Jay Slater, missing in Tenerife, says police have 'stepped up' search". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
- ^ "Statement regarding disappearance of Jay Slater". lancashire.police.uk. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
- ^ "Festival attended by missing teenager Jay Slater releases statement on his disappearance". LADbible. 22 June 2024. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
- ^ "Jay Slater: Officers searching for missing teen rescue 'disorientated' Scottish hiker". Sky News. 25 June 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
- ^ ""Missing Scots hiker" found by Jay Slater search team in Tenerife 'didn't need rescued'". Daily Record. 25 June 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
- ^ Corbishley, Sam (22 June 2024). "What's really going on with the GoFundMes for missing teen Jay Slater". Metro. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
- ^ Sherkock, Gemma; Garnett, Nick (22 June 2024). "Mum of Jay Slater issues 'we need you home' plea to missing son". BBC News. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
- ^ "Teen's skull split in attack by yobs who chased him down like 'pack of gorillas'". Manchester Evening News. 4 August 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
- ^ "Jay Slater: Victim of gang attack involving missing teen speaks out as Tenerife search escalates". Manchester Evening News. 26 June 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2024.