Mum of missing holidaymaker Jay Slater woken by police who told her 'you best go to Tenerife'

Matthew Calderbank
By Matthew Calderbank
Published 19th Jun 2024, 13:36 BST
Updated 19th Jun 2024, 14:25 BST
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A mum from Lancashire said she ‘feared the worst’ when police knocked on her door at 2am and urged her to get on a plane to Tenerife where her teenage son had been reported missing.

The step-dad of missing Jay Slater, who vanished on the Spanish island on Monday, has opened up on the moment officers visited the family’s home in Oswaldtwistle to deliver the worrying news.

Jay, 19, an apprentice bricklayer, was last heard from on Monday morning after phoning friend Lucy saying he planned to walk back to his accommodation after missing a bus, a journey expected to take around 11 hours on foot. He pinged her his location, showing him in 'the middle of the mountains'.

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Jay with mum DebbieJay with mum Debbie
Jay with mum Debbie | Submitted

Prior to his disappearance, Jay attended a rave with Lucy, but later left the event with two lads ‘to grab a few beers’, while she returned to their apartment.

Lucy said she had a call from Jay around 8.15am on Monday after he missed the bus and told her he was trying to walk back. He said he was lost, needed water and had only 1% battery left on his phone.

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Jay Slater's last known location in the mountainous area of Rural de Teno Park in TenerifeJay Slater's last known location in the mountainous area of Rural de Teno Park in Tenerife
Jay Slater's last known location in the mountainous area of Rural de Teno Park in Tenerife | OpenStreetMaps

His stepdad Andy Watson recalled the moment he and Jay’s mum first learned of their son’s disappearance when police came knocking at their door in the middle of the night. "It was about 2.30am in the early hours," Andy, 63, said.

"When the police said 'the best thing you can do is get yourself out there' we knew it was bad.

“This was his first holiday on his own. I'm just hoping he's gone to another party."

Jay's mum Debbie flew to Tenerife from Manchester Airport at 7.05am on Tuesday and is understood to have landed at around 11.35am.

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"She said she'll make contact with the consular office and then ring me but I've not heard anything yet," Andy said.

A huge search and rescue operation is now underway in the area where Jay was last seen.

Missing in Tenerife: Jay Slater, 19, from Oswaldtwistle, was last heard from on Monday morning when he told a friend he planned to walk back to his accommodation after missing a bus, a journey expected to take around 11 hours on footMissing in Tenerife: Jay Slater, 19, from Oswaldtwistle, was last heard from on Monday morning when he told a friend he planned to walk back to his accommodation after missing a bus, a journey expected to take around 11 hours on foot
Missing in Tenerife: Jay Slater, 19, from Oswaldtwistle, was last heard from on Monday morning when he told a friend he planned to walk back to his accommodation after missing a bus, a journey expected to take around 11 hours on foot | LEP

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: "We are supporting the family of a British man who has been reported missing in Spain and are in contact with the local authorities."

You can follow our live blog for the latest updates on the search for Jay here.

Related topics:SpainLancashire

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