Spanish police have discovered the body of a young man in the Masca area of Tenerife, where British teenager Jay Slater went missing four weeks ago. The Guardia Civil stated that rescuers from the Mountain Rescue and Intervention Group located the remains on Monday morning.
Slater, 19, an apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared after attending a music festival on the island. He was last seen walking alone in the Rural de Teno national park, a rugged and remote area. Police suggested the death may have been caused by an accidental fall on a cliff.
The search operation, which involved helicopters, dogs, and drones, had been ongoing for 29 days. Volunteer rescuers, including some Britons, continued the search after police scaled down efforts two weeks ago. The terrain, described as steep and covered in vegetation, made the search particularly difficult.
In his last known contact, Slater called friends saying he was lost, thirsty, and had only 1% battery left. He had gone with men he met at the festival and was last seen near their rented holiday home. A local resident reported seeing him walking uphill away from the resort.
Slater's mother, Debbie Duncan, expressed the family's heartache and criticised online conspiracy theories. The charity LBT Global, which supported the family, confirmed the body was found with Slater's possessions and clothes. A postmortem and forensic inquiries are pending.
