Search for missing British teenager Jay Slater called off, leaving his family ‘bewildered’

Police in the Canary Islands have called off their search for missing British teenager Jay Slater after 14 days.

Police in the Canary Islands have called off their search for missing British teenager Jay Slater after 14 days, leaving his family “bewildered”.

The extensive hunt to find 19-year-old Jay on the island Tenerife involved sniffer dogs, drones, a helicopter, dozens of volunteers and mountain rescue experts.

Local police stressed that officers would continue to investigate the case if any major tip-offs or information came in.

But their decision to call off the search has left Jay’s parents and other family members “heartbroken and devastated”, a family source told The Sun.

The source said Jay’s parents Debbie, Warren and his brother Zak, all of whom are still on Tenerife, were feeling a “sense of bewilderment”.

The family is still yet to get any answers regarding what happened to the 19-year-old, who has not been seen or heard from since June 17.

The search for Jay Slater has been called off.

Confirmation of the decision to halt the search for Jay came less than 24 hours after a “last push” was launched.

Some 30 police officers, firefighters and rescuers took to the mountains in Masca, along with a handful of volunteers, on Saturday, local time.

But the hunt, focused around Jay’s last known location, failed to find any trace of him.

A Civil Guard spokeswoman said on Sunday: “The search operation has now finished, although the case remains open.”

A well-placed source told The Sun: “The daily operation, which has been going on in and around Masca close to where Jay was last seen, has been brought to an end.

“If any information comes in that merits a new search though it will be acted upon.

“My understanding is Jay’s parents have been informed of what, obviously, is a major development.

“Nothing of any relevance was found during yesterday’s large-scale search.”

Jay with friends.

There has still been no clue as to his whereabouts.

Weeks-long mystery

Jay was last seen by a local resident in Masca, located in the north west of Tenerife, just after 8am on June 17, nearly two weeks ago.

It’s understood he was walking northwards along the road out of the village after stopping to ask the resident for directions.

His phone last pinged near to a lookout point, where search teams gathered on Saturday to begin the last day of the operation.

Friend Lucy Law said Jay had called her shortly after he was last seen to say he was thirsty and had no water. He complained that he had one per cent battery left on his phone and had been injured by a cactus.

Police sources say it would be “very unlikely Jay has survived” if he got lost in the mountains. The Civil Guard says there is also a “parallel” investigation by police investigators, which is continuing.

The hunt for Jay was said to have hit “make or break” point over the weekend, before the announcement that it was being closed down.

Police were given several leads by witnesses, though all of them came up short.

Officials on Tenerife announced only on Saturday that they were opening up questioning over the theft of a Rolex watch hours before Jay disappeared.

Taxi drivers and bar staff who were working near the Papagayo Beach Club on June 17 were also set to be quizzed by investigators over a fight that had erupted on the strip.

Jay was seen partying in the busy venue shortly before it closed.

It is unclear exactly how Jay’s disappearance might be linked to the incident.

A source from Tenerife told The Sun: “Any lead right now which could throw up information as to where Jay is will be looked at.”

This story first appeared on The Sun and has been republished with permission.

Originally published as Search for missing British teenager Jay Slater called off, leaving his family ‘bewildered’