Two buddies Jay Slater went on vacation with in Tenerife before he disappeared “can’t be found,” an inquest revealed today. The 19-year-old’s body was discovered in a ravine in the remote Rural de Teno National Park last July after an intense 29-day search.
**The Disappearance and Search**
Jay Slater, a 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer, traveled to the Spanish island of Tenerife in June to attend the NRG music festival in Playa de las Americas with his friends Lucy Law and Brad Hargreaves. After staying at an Airbnb apartment in Masca with two men, Jay decided to embark on a risky 25-mile walk back to his apartment in Los Cristianos. He contacted his friend Lucy at 8.50am, reporting a leg injury, being lost, dehydrated, and having only one percent battery left on his phone. Unfortunately, Jay walked in the wrong direction from the Airbnb, and his mobile phone last pinged in the mountainous Rural de Teno Park.
**The Tragic Outcome**
Despite extensive media coverage and social media speculation, Jay’s family, including his devastated mother Debbie Duncan, father Warren Slater, and brother Zak, flew to Tenerife to assist in the search for answers. After a month-long search, Jay’s body was found in a ravine on July 15, near where his phone was last detected. A post-mortem examination revealed that Jay had died from severe head injuries, consistent with a fall from a height. As Jay’s body was repatriated to Lancashire for his funeral, Lancashire’s Senior Coroner Dr. James Adeley initiated an inquest, with the final hearing occurring today.
**Unanswered Questions and Elusive Friends**
During the inquest, Dr. Adeley mentioned that Jay’s friends, Lucy and Brad, with whom he was staying in Tenerife, could not be located. Efforts to find them have been fruitless, as they have denied their identities, and even the police have been unable to track them down. Debbie, Jay’s anguished mother, has been plagued by countless uncertainties surrounding her son’s disappearance and death. She remains puzzled as to why Jay got into a car with two older men after the music festival and accompanied them to their Airbnb apartment. Debbie remembers Jay as a “loving and popular” teenager who had a promising future ahead of him.
**Reflections and Closure**
As the inquest into Jay’s tragic demise unfolds, the mysterious disappearance of his friends adds another layer of intrigue to the already perplexing case. Debbie’s emotional journey in seeking closure and understanding about her son’s final moments serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring pain caused by sudden loss. The unanswered questions surrounding Jay’s ill-fated trip to Tenerife and the subsequent events leading to his untimely death continue to haunt those left behind. As the search for truth and justice presses on, the memory of Jay Slater lives on in the hearts of those who knew and loved him.
