Mother of Jay Slater, missing in Tenerife, says police have ‘stepped up’ search | Spain

The mom of Jay Slater, who’s lacking in Tenerife, has stated she believes Spanish police have intensified their seek for the 19-year-old, six days after he disappeared.

On Saturday afternoon, search and rescue employees, police and firefighters have been combing by means of an unlimited space of the valley the place Slater was final seen, with canines introduced in to assist with the search.

Debbie Duncan instructed the Guardian she spent eight hours in a police station on Friday as police outlined their detailed plans to seek for the lacking apprentice bricklayer from Lancashire. “I believe it’s been stepped up,” she stated, which she described as “too proper”.

Duncan, who flew to the island on Tuesday, a day after Slater went lacking, stated she nonetheless believes “one thing untoward” might have occurred to her son, and that police had instructed her they have been “investigating all leads”.

On Saturday, police have been on the vacation house that Slater had visited earlier than he disappeared, standing guard outdoors whereas vacationers ate on the adjoining cafe.

Police have been additionally seen close to a home additional down the valley, near the palm tree the place Slater’s cellphone final “pinged”, and which is believed to be his final identified location.

In a while Saturday, Jay’s father Warren Slater, 58, visited the scene within the village of Masca the place his son went lacking.

He was joined by Jay’s brother Zak, 24, and instructed reporters he simply wished “the boy again”.

Warren is estranged from Jay’s mom, who didn’t really feel prepared to hitch them.

On Friday, rescuers stated they have been specializing in a 30 sq km space, concentrating on the paths of the valley surrounding the agricultural village of Masca, in addition to two ravines.

With Slater now lacking for nearly per week, rumours and conspiracy theories about his disappearance proceed to unfold on-line, with social media “sleuths” speculating on social media platforms, together with TikTok and Fb.

The administrator of an official Fb web page set as much as assist discover him, Rach Louise Harg, stated in a publish on the web page that any person had logged into Slater’s Instagram account who was not him.

Duncan additionally stated Spanish police have been involved that “noise” across the case might have a detrimental impression on the search.

“They’ve really stated that there’s an excessive amount of noise, that’s affecting it,” she stated. “They’ve obtained all of the plans, their areas. They have this map they have been displaying us, shaded completely different colors.”

Duncan renewed calls from the household for British police to fly to Tenerife to hitch the search. However final evening, in a press release, Lancashire constabulary stated that their supply of assist had been refused by Spanish counterparts.

“We’ve had an issue with the language barrier,” Duncan stated. “It’s tough with all of the Spanish police and British police, they must let the Spanish police do the investigation, however I would like any person to come back out right here.”

Lancashire police stated specialist officers from the drive have been persevering with to help the household.

“Whereas this case falls outdoors the jurisdiction of UK policing, now we have made a proposal of help to the Guardia Civil to see in the event that they want any extra assets,” a spokesperson stated.

“They’ve confirmed that at the moment they’re happy that they’ve the assets they want, however that supply stays open and they’re going to contact us ought to that place change.”

On Friday, search groups within the Rural De Teno nature park stated they’d not given up hope of discovering Slater alive. They stated the search centered on three distinct areas of 30 sq km in complete.

“We nonetheless have hope that he’s alive, up till the final second when the final hope is misplaced,” one rescuer stated. “The reality is that we really feel a bit pissed off as a result of we are able to’t discover him. It’s so large [here] that it’s very tough to go looking in such a steep space. However we’re doing all the pieces we are able to.

“We haven’t discovered something, now we have combed this whole path, we’ve been up and down however, till now, nothing.”

{The teenager} was final heard from on Monday morning when he phoned a good friend saying he was misplaced, wanted water, and that his cellphone battery was on 1%.

He had been with pals on the NRG music competition, however had gone again with two males he had met, who’re believed to be British, to their vacation cottage on the outskirts of the village of Masca, nearly 25 miles (40km) north of the vacation resort in Los Cristianos the place he was staying with pals.

A spokesperson for the music competition stated it had been capable of “give some sensible help” to Slater’s household.

“That such a devastating state of affairs has arisen has deeply affected us all,” they stated, including that they’d been “impressed by [the family’s] resilience and willpower”.

The final identified sighting of Slater was by Ofelia Medina Hernandez, whose brother owns the cottage the place the boys have been staying.

She stated Slater had requested her about bus occasions, then later noticed him strolling up a hill – in the wrong way to Los Cristianos.

“He walked alongside the street once I noticed him for the final time, up there … He was there alone,” she stated. “He was strolling usually, although quick, somewhat quick.”

To stroll again on foot would have taken about 11 hours.

On Friday night, search groups deployed canines and drones from the Cruz de Hilda viewpoint, close to the place Slater was final seen.

The Guardia Civil stated on Friday: “There’s a search on going and the police operation is concentrated on the realm of Masca (Tenerife). We can’t verify any extra data.”