On the afternoon of 17th June, the young Jay Slater made a call to a friend, with whom he travelled to Tenerife, to tell her that he was lost in Masca and had very little battery left on his phone. It was the last contact that was made with him, and for almost a month he kept investigators, the town of Buenavista del Norte, and his family and friends on edge.
Slater’s case, one of the most publicized disappearances in recent years in the Canary Islands and beyond insular borders, led to a 29-day search in very challenging terrain. Ravines and trails make up the area where the young man was last seen until his body was located on the morning of Monday, 15th July.
At least that’s what the Civil Guard maintains, who, although awaiting DNA tests to confirm his identity, already suggests that the body is that of Jay Slater. Furthermore, the investigation will now focus on the causes of his death, although everything indicates that it was an accidental fall.
The Search
From the moment his disappearance was reported, in parallel with the police investigation, search efforts were initiated in the area where he was last located, Masca, in Buenavista del Norte. In the early days, they even moved to Los Cristianos, following a call placing the Briton in that area, but it was ultimately ruled out by authorities as a false lead.
Thus, all efforts were focused on the protected environment of Buenavista del Norte. During the initial search days, dogs from a specialized unit in these types of cases were used, and shortly after, drones were brought in due to the complex terrain.
The case of the British man who disappeared in Tenerife 20 years ago coincides with that of Jay Slater / LP/DLP
Madrid’s Civil Guard troops also travelled to Tenerife to participate in the search and investigation of Jay Slater’s disappearance, and they were the ones who coordinated a large operation on Saturday, 29th June in the area.
They issued a call to social entities and individuals to join security forces, firefighters, and civil protection in r
On that day, around thirty people searched unsuccessfully for Slater in Masca, in an operation that included K-9 units from the Civil Guard Canine Service, as well as aerial vehicles such as drones and helicopters from security and rescue forces.
Among the volunteers, private investigator Mark Williams-Thomas joined in, who stars in the Netflix program The Investigator, a presence that highlights the case’s significance in the United Kingdom.
End of the Search
Two days later, on 1st July, the Civil Guard announced the end of the 12-day search operation for the young man, although the investigation remained open. In fact, they continued with their inquiries, always focusing on Masca, a rocky area, full of cliffs, ravines, trails, and paths.
Additionally, the family maintained their own search efforts in the municipality, with searches in Masca. The young man’s mother recently thanked the security forces for searching for her son. “The Civil Guard has worked tirelessly in the mountains where Jay’s last call was traced. (…) The police continue to investigate why Jay had travelled to such a remote location. We offer our sincere thanks to the Spanish authorities who are following the lines of investigation,” she said over the weekend.
In fact, according to El Día, despite the announcement of the search’s end, during the last few days, GREIM professionals have continued this task in a much quieter manner, in harsh weather conditions and a very challenging terrain, full of high cliffs and precipices.
