The mother of Jay Slater, the young British man who vanished in Tenerife almost three weeks ago, expressed on Wednesday their deep sorrow over the situation. They are urging that the investigation continues without any hindrance from the media.
“Jay is an ordinary young man in his third year of apprenticeship, well-liked with a large group of friends. Our family is very close-knit, and we are utterly devastated by his disappearance. The pain and anguish we are going through are indescribable. He is our precious son with his whole future ahead of him, and all we want is to locate him,” Debbie Duncan stated in a message relayed through the LBT Global association.
There has been no news regarding his location following a 12-day search by the Civil Guard in the Masca region, where his last phone signal was traced. Despite the conclusion of ground operations after an extensive search effort deployed last Saturday, they are still investigating how the young man ended up in Teno Natural Park, far from the apartment where he was holidaying with a friend in the southern part of the island. He had travelled there to enjoy the holidays and attend a music festival.
The family extends their “sincere thanks” to the Spanish authorities for pursuing the lines of inquiry and requests that their “privacy” be respected to allow the Civil Guard to proceed with their work.
“We are aware of the conspiracy theories and speculations circulating on social media and various websites, which we find despicable, as negative comments greatly distress our family. We are grateful for the love and support received from across the globe,” the message conveys.
British tabloids have been speculating on potential theories surrounding the disappearance and have brought forward alleged incidents from the missing young man’s past.
The last contact made was a phone call to a friend on the morning of June 17 where Jay indicated he was lost, in need of energy, and attempting to walk back to his apartment. Shortly after, his phone battery died. However, the location of his call was far from his apartment, situated inland on the island with numerous gorges and cliffs, notably in the touristy spot of Masca and the ravine of the same name. This area requires reservations for access due to its history of accidents.
The search efforts, involving drones, dogs, and helicopters, have been concentrated in these gorges along the northwest coast of the island.
