The search for missing British teenager Jay Slater has gained a new lead, as his mother, Debbie Slater, disclosed a potential sighting of her son. Jay, a 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, has been missing since Monday after attending the NRG music festival in Tenerife.
Debbie, 55, shared the development with MailOnline, stating, “Someone has come forward to say they saw someone who they thought was Jay walking back down the road sat on a bench. He was with two men looking a bit worse for wear, and they were by a church. This guy has come forward and told the police about it, and they are looking into it. We don’t know if it was Jay for sure, but it’s a start.”
The reported sighting occurred around 6 pm, ten hours after Jay was last seen by a local woman in the village of Rural de Teno. The witness’s account adds a new dimension to the search efforts, raising questions about Jay’s whereabouts and the identities of the two men he was reportedly seen with.
Jay was last seen wearing a grey sports top with a light green strip on the shoulders and carrying a black bag. His last known communication was a distress call to his friend Lucy Mae Law, where he mentioned his phone battery was at 1% and that he was dehydrated. The call ended abruptly, and Jay has not been heard from since.
Authorities, including the Civil Guard, have been conducting an extensive search operation in the rugged terrain of Rural de Teno. The efforts involve helicopters, drones, sniffer dogs, and specialist mountain rescue units. Despite the challenging conditions, the search continues with renewed hope following the recent sighting report.
Debbie Slater, along with Jay’s father Warren and older brother Zak, has flown out to Tenerife to assist in the search. The family remains hopeful despite the growing fears and unanswered questions surrounding Jay’s disappearance.
The police have been criticized for their response to the situation, with friends and family urging them to intensify their efforts. This latest sighting could provide a crucial lead in unraveling the mystery of Jay’s disappearance.