Jay Slater: Search continues for teen missing on Tenerife as friend reveals details of final call

The 19-year-old, from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, went missing on the Spanish island on Monday morning after leaving the NRG music festival. Finding himself in Rural de Teno park, a mountainous areas popular with hikers, he told his friend via a phone call that he planned to walk back to his accommodation after missing a bus, a journey which would have taken 11 hours.

Lucy Law, Jay’s friend who had travelled to the island to attend the festival with him, has revealed that during the last phone call between the pair, he told her that he “didn’t know where he was” and had “cut his leg on a cactus”. He added that he “needed a drink” and had only 1% battery left on his phone before the call cut off.

Speaking to Sky News, Lucy said that her friend is “not a stupid boy” and would have flagged down a vehicle travelling by or would have spoken to passers-by to find his way home. Lucy said that Jay had been left without food or water and was only wearing a T-shirt and shorts.

She said: "It's very warm in the day and very cold at night. So in the day he's going to be really warm without a drink, and then at night he's going to be very cold without any suitable clothing."

Lucy told the MEN that Jay had gone to stay with people he had met on holiday after the festival, but after they drove him back to his apartment in a hire car, the teenager did not know how far it would be and got out the car “in the middle of nowhere”. Lucy said: “Jay was obviously thinking he would be able to get home from there.”

Jay’s mother, Debbie Duncan, has called the ordeal of searching for her son “traumatic” and horrendous”. She said: “I think he’s been taken against his will with what’s been said, but it’s in the hands of the police.”

Jay, who is an apprentice bricklayer, was described as a “great person who everyone wanted to be with” by his mother. Search teams include police, who Ms Duncan has described as being “very good” so far, as well as a specialist mountain rescue group.

The Spanish Civil Guard told UK reporters: "A specialist mountain rescue and intervention group called the Greim have been mobilised. A police helicopter is also out and focusing on the area around the village of Masca. Other emergency services including firefighters have also been mobilised.”

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson 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.”