Jay Slater: Missing teenager’s father and brother make emotional pleas for his safe return
The father and brother of Jay Slater, the British teenager missing in Tenerife since Monday, have made emotional pleas for his safe return.
Warren Slater, the 19-year-old’s father, told Sky News he is “just hoping that somebody has helped him off this mountain”.
He added: “That’s all I want, that somebody has helped him get off this mountain. I just want him back and that’s it. He’s my son.”
His voice cracking, Mr Slater said the last few days have been “a nightmare, just a nightmare”.
Struggling to control his emotions, he then walked away from the camera as he repeated: “I just want him back and that’s it.”
Mr Slater’s brother, Zak Slater, echoed those words, saying: “We don’t know where he is, what’s happened, or anything. I don’t know what to say. We just want him to come home safe.”
He also became emotional as he said: “I just wish he’d come home.”
The pair have gone to Tenerife to help search for Jay, who was holidaying with friends before he disappeared. He had been at the NRG music festival with two friends on Sunday.
He was last heard from just after 8am on Monday, when he called his friend Lucy Law to say he was setting off to walk back to his accommodation after missing a bus.
It’s not clear whether he realised the journey could take as much as 11 hours.
Ms Law said he told her he was lost, in need of water, and only had 1% charge on his phone.
On Saturday, the sixth day of the search, police, rescue dogs and firefighters reconvened at Rural de Teno Park, the last location logged by Mr Slater’s phone.
Mr Slater is from the Lancashire town of Oswaldtwistle, where specialist officers are continuing to support his family, Lancashire Constabulary said.
The force added it had made “an offer of support to the Guardia Civil to see if they need any additional resources”, which was rejected by Spanish authorities.
Missing teen’s mum has ‘not slept’
The apprentice bricklayer’s mother, who is also on the island, the largest in the Canary Islands, also made a direct plea to her missing son, saying: “We just need you home.”
Debbie Duncan said she has “not slept” since he disappeared.
Asked how the family was coping with the situation, she said: “We’re not. I’m not coping very well at all. I’ve not slept, I’m exhausted. It’s been awful. I can’t give up on him, I just can’t.”
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Asked by the Press Association if her head was spinning from the past few days, she said: “It is, it is.
“People say: ‘Yeah, I understand’ – no, you don’t, you don’t understand.”
Speaking about what message she would have for her son, Ms Duncan added: “We just need you home – we just need him home.”