Mother of Jay Slater speaks of 'pain and agony' while son missing on Tenerife

The mother of missing Jay Slater said “words cannot describe the pain and agony we are experiencing” after searches on Tenerife failed to trace the missing 19-year-old.

In a statement issued through the British overseas missing persons charity LBT Global, Debbie Duncan said the land search for her son has been called off, but thanked the Guardia Civil who she said had “worked tirelessly up in the mountains where Jay’s last phone call was traced”.

The 19-year-old, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared on June 17 after setting off to walk back to his accommodation on the holiday island.

His mother’s statement said: “We are a very close family and are absolutely devastated about his disappearance.

“Words cannot describe the pain and agony we are experiencing. He is our beautiful boy with his whole life ahead of him and we just want to find him.”

Helicopters, drones and search dogs were deployed to find the apprentice bricklayer.

Mr Slater went to the holiday island on June 13 to attend the NRG music festival with two friends before his disappearance.

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.

“Jay is a normal guy who is in his third year of an apprenticeship, and he is a very popular young man with a large circle of friends,” Ms Duncan said.

“We do not have any information on his whereabouts.

“The Guardia Civil have worked tirelessly up in the mountains where Jay’s last phone call was traced.

“They conducted a land search for 12 days which involved every resource they had available.

“Although the land search ended, the Spanish police still continue with their investigations into why Jay had travelled to the location so far away from his accommodation.

“We offer our sincere thanks to the Spanish authorities who continue to follow lines of inquiries.”

On Friday, the Guardia Civil had appealed for volunteer associations, such as firefighters and individual volunteers who were experts in rugged terrain to assist in a “busqueda masiva” – massive search – on Saturday.

The search in the village of Masca, near his last-known location, took in a steep rocky area, including ravines, trails and paths.

He had travelled to an Airbnb in Masca and the two men said to have rented the property were later ruled “not relevant” to the case, according to reports.