Friend of missing Brit in Masca Tenerife fears he is in severe danger

A buddy of lacking Brit Jay Slater has informed the BBC she fears he’s in “extreme hazard” in harsh terrain in Tenerife with out suncream, water or mountaineering gear.

The 19-year-old, from Lancashire, flew to the island for a music competition in Playa de las Americas, however had moved to the Rural de Teno nationwide park space within the early hours of Monday and has not been heard of since.

The search, which incorporates drones and canines, has refocussed within the north, across the village of Masca, after police “discounted” info which had taken them south.

Mr Slater’s buddy Lucy Legislation informed the BBC: “In case you go searching there’s simply mountain after mountain after mountain, all the pieces seems to be the identical.”

She had been referred to as by Mr Slater, shortly earlier than 09:00 BST on Monday, saying he was misplaced, thirsty and had 1% battery on his cellphone.

“The climate isn’t nice, it’s very cloudy, it’s beginning to rain,” she mentioned.

“This morning it was 34 levels, so it’s swipping and swapping between actually, actually scorching then actually, actually chilly.”

She added: “He’s bought shorts and t-shirt on, he’s bought no suncream, he’s bought no water, he’s bought no coat.

“He’s not ready for any of the weathers up right here. It’s not protected.

“He’s by no means been up right here earlier than, it could be really easy for him to get misplaced.”

Ms Legislation has referred to as for the British police to help with the investigation, so “we will deliver him residence to his household”.

“That’s all that we wish, all that we’d like,” she mentioned.

Lancashire Police mentioned officers have been “supporting the household” and staying in contact with the consulate in Tenerife.

The Guardia Civil, the island’s police pressure, informed the BBC the search had quickly moved to the Los Cristianos space within the south on Wednesday attributable to a possible lead.

However the search returned to Rural de Teno within the north-west of the island, the place it continues, it mentioned.

The operation contains police, mountain rescue groups, firefighters and volunteers.

The Guardia Civil mentioned a helicopter launch had been delayed because of the island’s climate circumstances.

Reporting from the scene, the BBC’s Nick Garnett described the Rural de Teno as a “distant and wild nationwide park”, with chilly nights and excessive winds.

“Deep ravines and big daunting mountains make the nationwide park a tough place for the Spanish search groups to navigate, however one mountain rescue employee informed me this isn’t the primary time they’ve been referred to as out to the realm,” he mentioned.

“At night time, the countryside turns into a maze, pitch black and disorientating.”

He mentioned search and rescue groups are concentrating on one specific valley close to the highest of a mountain cross, and a helicopter has been sighted for the primary time this afternoon.

Mr Slater’s mom, Debbie Duncan, has informed the BBC her son was on his first vacation overseas with associates.

She flew to the island and joined the search, and mentioned: “I’ve not slept in any respect, it is prefer it’s not actual.”

Apprentice bricklayer, Mr Slater, from Oswaldtwistle, had attended the three-day NRG music competition in Playa de las Americas within the south of the island.

He left with two males he met there and ended up in a home about 40 minutes drive away in a rural space.

Ms Legislation mentioned he informed her he had missed a bus, and was as an alternative making an attempt the 10-hour stroll again the lodging, however the name then ended.

When the Guardia Civil spokeswoman was requested if officers had spoken to the 2 males Mr Slater left the competition with, she mentioned: “It is a part of the investigation, I can not let you know extra.”

Mr Slater’s final recognized location has been the positioning of intense searches.

The world is filled with vegetation and small, winding roads.

An announcement from Volunteer Firefighters of Santiago del Teide described the way it had joined the search effort.

It mentioned: “We have been activated to proceed with the seek for the younger man transferring 4 automobiles with 16 firefighters along with native police, firefighters from Guia de Isora, mountain civil guard, Guardia Civil unit of civil guard canines, household and associates of the younger man.”

A Fb group arrange by Mr Slater’s family and friends to assist co-ordinate the search effort has attracted greater than 350,000 members.

Ms Legislation posted within the group: “We want as many individuals as attainable up there trying to find him please.

“We might be up there once more very first thing, nonetheless a search social gathering goes to be crucial to go looking in every single place as the realm could be very huge.

“In case you may help, please do, we have to get him residence.”

British journalist Chris Elkington, editor of the Canarian Weekly, informed the BBC the terrain at Mr Slater’s final recognized location was “harsh”.

He mentioned: “It is a rural park the place you get loads of mountaineering trails, it’s totally mountainous, fairly sparse, fairly barren.

“Fairly deserty in loads of methods, with some very deep ravines and valleys.

“It is actually someplace you wouldn’t wish to be in regular circumstances with out the right footwear, significantly with out water.”

• Sunday 16 June – Jay Slater and associates attend ultimate day of the NRG music competition at Papagayo night time membership within the vacationer hotspot of Playa de las Americas

• Monday 17 June – Between 03:00 and 06:00 BST Mr Slater bought right into a automobile with two males he had met throughout the vacation and left Playa de las Americas

• 07:30 – Mr Slater posts {a photograph} on his Snapchat account exhibiting him on the doorway of a property, tagged with the placement Parque Rural de Teno

• Between 08:30 and 09:00 – Mr Slater calls his buddy and says he missed a bus again south and was making an attempt to stroll the 10-hour journey

• The decision cuts out, along with his cellphone’s final location exhibiting a path within the mountainous Rural de Teno nationwide park, in style with hikers

• Tuesday 18 June – Regardless of his associates looking out the realm, no signal of Mr Slater emerges and he doesn’t return to his lodging

• Native police and mountain rescue groups start looking out and his mom and brother board a flight to Tenerife

• Wednesday 19 June – The Spanish Guardia Civil proceed the search utilizing drones, canines and a helicopter however no hint is discovered

• The search is briefly moved to the Los Cristianos space within the south of the island attributable to a possible sighting, however police shortly “low cost” that lead and transfer the search again to the unique space.

• Thursday 20 June – The Guardia Civil, mountain rescue, firefighters and volunteers return to scour the nationwide park

Further reporting by Rachael Lazaro and Emma Stanley, BBC Information