A cafe owner in Tenerife reported that she spoke to teenager Jay Slater on the morning he went missing.
Nineteen-year-old Jay Slater, from Lancashire, has not been seen since Monday morning (June 17), when he informed a friend that his phone battery was down to one percent and he didn't know how to return to his hotel.
His disappearance has triggered an extensive search across the northwest of the Spanish island, involving the Civil Guard and mountain search teams.
Friday marked the fifth day of intense searches in and around the village of Masca, which is surrounded by steep terrain and mountains, accessible by only one road.
The search, covering about 30 square kilometers, is focusing on three main areas: Masca Gorge, La Vica, and Las Portelas.
Jay reportedly asked a cafe owner twice about the bus schedule to Buenavista del Norte around 8 a.m. on Monday before walking away.
Ofelia Medina Hernandez told Sky News: “I saw the boy in the morning at around 8 a.m. He asked twice what time the bus came. I told him, ‘at 10 o’clock’.
He came back and asked me again, and I told him again—at 10 o’clock. After that, he walked off, and I didn’t see him anymore. Later, I went in my car and saw him. He was walking fast. But I didn’t see him again after that.”
Jay's mother, Debbie Duncan, who flew to Tenerife with friends and family the day after Jay was reported missing, spoke from her apartment on Friday, stating that local police had intensified their search efforts.
She mentioned that the language barrier has been challenging when dealing with Spanish police and that the media attention and social media speculation have complicated the search.
“We’ve been at the police station all day today, and I think the search has been stepped up," she said. "We’ve had issues with the language barrier. It’s difficult with the Spanish police and British police; they have to let the Spanish police lead the investigation.
The police have said that there’s too much noise, which is affecting the search. They have all the plans and locations mapped out, showing us different shaded areas.”
Debbie also praised the British Consulate for their ongoing support but called for more involvement from local police in the UK.
Civil Defence officers at the search base described how the vast area, about 30 kilometers wide, is divided into three different ravines.
A team member explained that they are doing "everything we can" and remain hopeful that Jay is alive until all hope is lost.
They expressed frustration over the difficulty of searching such steep terrain but emphasized their continued efforts.
A spokesperson for the Civil Guard, leading the search, confirmed that a search of the Masca areas was being conducted on Friday but could not provide further updates.
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