The search for missing British teenager Jay Slater has taken a chilling turn with the revelation of his final, desperate message to a friend. The 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, sent a Snapchat in the early hours of Monday morning, painting a dire picture of his situation.
His haunting last words were: "I'm lost in the mountains, I have no idea where I am. My phone is on 1% and it's about to die." This message, sent from the remote and rugged Rural de Teno park in northwest Tenerife, is the last confirmed communication from Jay.
The circumstances leading to his disappearance are equally troubling. Jay had been attending the NRG music festival and was last seen leaving a holiday rental with two men he had met that night. His friend, Lucy Law, received a call from him at 8:15 AM where he said he was lost, thirsty, and needed water. The line then went dead.
A Desperate Search in Treacherous Terrain
Spanish authorities have launched a massive search operation, focusing on the Masca Gorge and surrounding mountains—an area known for its dangerous and unforgiving landscape. Search teams, including helicopters, sniffer dogs, and mountain rescue experts, have been combing the ravines and steep paths for any sign of the missing teen.
His mother, Debbie Duncan, who has flown to Tenerife to aid the search, expressed her anguish: "It's just unbearable. He's my baby boy. We just need him home."
A Community's Hope and Heartbreak
Back home in Lancashire, Jay's family and friends are clinging to hope while preparing for the worst. A close friend described him as a "good lad" who wouldn't just wander off, intensifying fears that he may have suffered a fall or another accident in the difficult terrain.
As the search enters its most critical phase, the world waits for news, hoping for a miracle against the odds in the vast Spanish mountains.
