Human remains have been discovered amid the search for a teenager missing for almost a month in Tenerife, according to reports.
Jay Slater was reported missing after setting off to walk back to his accommodation on the holiday island on June 17.
The 19-year-old had attended the NRG music festival with two friends before his disappearance, and his last known location was the Rural de Teno Park in the north of the Canary Island – which was about an 11-hour walk from his accommodation.
Despite extensive searches, the teenager from from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire was not found and on June 30, Spanish authorities called off the official search.
A fundraiser was launched to support Jay’s family as they travelled to the island to aid in the search for the teen, which topped more than £50,000.
On Sunday, prior to the body discovery, Jay’s mother Debbie Duncan said the family was “desperate to find our beautiful boy” in a statement released through British overseas missing persons charity LBT Global.
However on Monday, Spanish police confirmed a body had been found near the village of Masca by the Civil Guard’s mountain rescue team.
The statement said evidence suggested the remains were those of Jay and that he could have died because of an accidental fall.
LBT Global said the body was found close to the site of his mobile phone’s last location.
In a statement, reported by Sky News, police said: “The mountain rescue and intervention group of the Civil Guard has located the lifeless body of a young man in the Masca area after 29 days of constant search.
“Given the complexity of the case, the discovery has been possible thanks to the incessant and discreet search carried out by the Civil Guard during these 29 days, in which the natural space was preserved so that it would not be filled with curious onlookers.
“All indications indicate that it could be the young British man who has been missing since June 17 in the absence of full identification.
“The first investigations reveal that he could have suffered an accident fall in the inaccessible area where he was found.”
In a statement overseas missing persons charity LBT Global said: “LBT Global is saddened to announce that a body found in Tenerife does look to be that of Jay Slater. It is understood the body was found close to the site of his mobile phone’s last location.
“Although formal identification is yet to be carried out, the body was found with Mr Slater’s possessions and clothes.
“A post-mortem examination and forensic enquiries will follow.
“LBT Global are supporting the family at this distressing time and ask for everyone to afford them space and privacy to come to terms with the news.”
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