Missing teen, who vanished after music festival, lost in worst possible area

A local said his last known location was in a spot where he stands “the least chance of survival”.

Missing British teenager Jay Slater is thought to be lost in an area locals of Tenerife – the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands – call “the badlands”, it has emerged.

The five-day search for the 19-year-old has now homed in on a 600m-deep ravine in a remote, desert-like park.

Helicopters have been seen soaring above, while firefighters, volunteers and police scour the perilous cactus-strewn terrain below.

The teenager from Lancashire in England’s north-west was on the holiday island for a three-day music festival and had stayed the night with people he had just met before disappearing on his way home on Monday.

The teenager from Lancashire in the UK was on the holiday island for a three-day music festival.

He vanished after making a desperate phone call at 8am on Monday morning.

British man Jay Slater has gone missing in Tenerife.

He vanished after making a desperate phone call at 8am on Monday morning to his long-time pal Lucy – saying he was in the “middle of nowhere”.

The frantic teen said he was lost, needed water and only had 1 per cent battery left on his mobile phone.

Jay told Lucy he “didn’t know where he was” and that he needed a drink of water before the call cut off.

Jonathan Stones, who moved to Tenerife more than two decades ago at 13, said the Teno Nature Reserve is one of the island’s most inhospitable spots.

He told The Sun: “Where Jay was last located through his mobile phone is where he stands the least chance of survival.

“The desolate landscapes around the island’s holiday hotspots are referred to as ‘malpais’ by locals — a word that translates into English as ‘bad land’.”

The ravine where search workers are focusing on. Picture: The Sun

His last known location was on a mountain road.

The former journalist, 50, warned the searing heat could be deceptive, with comfortable temperatures in the morning turning into roasting highs by 11am.

He added: “With no shade in sight, no water to hand and a deep ravine, the sun becomes an even more fierce adversary.

“And the shadowy respite offered by the hilltops is short-lived.

“The sun moves around the mountain sides quickly and anyone sheltering behind a craggy outcrop is soon flushed from their hide in search of the next one.

“I hope desperately that it’s a riddle solved in time for Jay to be reunited safely with his family.”

The owner of the Airbnb revealed Jay asked about a local bus.

Jay’s last-known location was on a mountain road on the north west side of the island.

The apprentice bricklayer had travelled to a rental property in the village of Masca with two pals he met at a party.

The owner of the Airbnb revealed Jay asked about a local bus before attempting the almost 11-hour trek back to his hotel.

This story was originally published on The Sun and is reproduced here with permission