Jay Slater: Tenerife residents 'shocked' by search halt

Tenerife residents were “shocked” and “surprised” by the Guardia Civil’s decision to call off the search for missing teenager Jay Slater, it has been claimed.

Slater, 19, disappeared on the Spanish island two weeks ago after attending the NRG music festival on the island, before checking into an AirBnb with two other Britons he had met that evening.

After an extensive search in the mountainous area where Slater’s phone location was last active, Spanish police announced they would end their efforts.

Speaking to GB News, journalist Joe Cawley said news that the search had been called off “came out of nowhere” following a call for “mass volunteers” to join.

Jay Slater disappeared two weeks ago after attending a music festival in Tenerife

Reuters/GB News/PA

Noting that only six volunteers assisted the Guardia Civil in their search, Cawley revealed that the call for help from outside experts was a “final push” in this line of inquiry aimed at finding Slater.

Cawley explained: “It was a surprise. It seemed to come out of nowhere. The people of Tenerife seem quite shocked that the event was cancelled after two weeks.

“The search with additional people was a last attempt, as far as the police were concerned.”

However, Cawley told GB News the low volunteer turnout could be because the appeal was aimed at “expert assistance” rather than the general public.

Guardia Civil halts search for missing British teenager after two weeks

Reuters

Cawley said: “The call for volunteers was a call for professional volunteers or experts in mountain rescue, hikers who are experts in climbing. It wasn’t really a call for the general public.

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“There may have been a limited number of people like that here at the time. »

Addressing the discussion about the reaction of the island’s residents as the investigation into Slater’s disappearance continues, Cawley added that much of the Spanish population of Tenerife is “unaware” of the case because the police have not launched a public appeal.

Cawley told hosts Tom Harwood and Sophie Reaper: “I’ve spoken to young people in Spain and a lot of people don’t know about this.

“Within the British expat community it’s a topic of conversation and a lot of concern – but a lot of locals I’ve spoken to have said ‘Jay who?’ and then, well, a lot of people get lost in the mountains.”

Joe Cawley says police investigation into Slater ‘still open’

GB News

When asked by Sophie what remaining lines of inquiry police needed to investigate now that field research had been halted, Cawley suggested that the case was “still ongoing” and that police were “keeping the avenues of investigation open.”

Cawley concluded: “As everyone knows, there’s been a lot of speculation, there’s a lot of theories. The police here don’t give out much information publicly, it’s just not the way they do things. »

“They said the case was indeed open, the investigation was still ongoing, but the search was obviously over.

“I don’t know where we’ll get the next update from, and the family will continue, but I’m not sure what particular lines of investigation the Guardia Civil is currently following.”