Search and rescue teams discovered the body of a young man while looking for missing teenager Jay Slater in Tenerlife, the largest island of the Canary Islands.
Spain’s law enforcement agency, the Guardia Civil, said in a statement they found the ‘lifeless body of a young man’ in the Masca area after 29 days of searching.
Fingerprints taken from the body were later confirmed to match those of 19-year-old Jay Slater, who went missing four weeks ago.
The teen had vanished after attending a music festival on the island nearly a month ago and was last spotted walking by himself in a secluded location near the village of Mascara, which is located north of the island.
According to a court spokesperson, injuries on his body suggested that he suffered a fatal fall.
The 19-year-old had gone to the NRG music festival in the Playa De Las Americas resort and was staying with a group of friends. After leaving the festival, he went with the two men to their Airbnb, which was located in a remote region.
Ofelia Hernandez, whose brother was the owner of the Airbnb, said Slater had asked her about the bus times. She later spotted him walking in the opposite direction to his rented apartment, adding that ‘it’s easy to lose yourself’ in the area.
One of Slater’s friends, Lucy Mae, confirmed on his GoFundMe page that he had ‘met with two people on Sunday’ after which he went to their apartment.
She said Slater eventually called her frantically, saying that he was ‘thirsty, lost, and that his phone was at 1 percent.’
His last known location was on an off-road track, which was nearly 10 hours away from his hotel. Search teams later discovered his body close to his mobile phone’s last location.
A Continuous Search Operation
After he was reported missing, a large-scale search operation commenced with drones, helicopters, and dogs. While it was eventually scaled down after a couple of weeks, the search continued, with many volunteers from the UK and Spain joining the efforts.
His friends and family also flew out to the area to join the search.
According to a local newspaper, the body was found in such rough terrain that the team had to recover it using a helicopter. The following day, search teams continued to search the area to ensure nothing was missed.
Since he first went missing on June 17, more than £60,000 has been raised from the GoFundMe.
Now, his family is asking for help to return his body to the UK for his funeral. According to Homeland International, a repatriation provider, this will cost between £2,500 to £20,000.
In a recent update, Slater’s mother said they are currently working with agencies to arrange for his son’s repatriation. The remaining funds from the campaign will then go towards his funeral costs back home.
