Spanish authorities have confirmed through autopsy and fingerprint analysis that the body discovered by rescuers in Tenerife on Monday belongs to Jay Slater, the 19-year-old British teenager who went missing four weeks ago.
A spokesperson for the court reportedly stated that fingerprints from the body matched those of the Lancashire native. Slater was last seen walking alone in a remote area near the village of Masca, in the northern part of the island, after attending a music festival.
The high court of justice in the Canary Islands released a statement indicating that injuries on Slater’s body suggest an accidental fall as the cause of death. “Fingerprint tests have positively identified the body as Jay Slater, and the injuries are consistent with a fall in a rocky area,” the statement read.
Debbie Duncan, Slater’s mother, expressed her anguish in a statement, saying, “This is the worst news imaginable. I cannot fathom how this could happen to my beautiful boy. Our hearts are shattered.”
Prior to his disappearance, Slater had been holidaying with friends on the coast and attended the NRG music festival in Playa De Las Americas. He subsequently travelled with two acquaintances to their Airbnb in the Rural de Teno national park, a remote location approximately 11 hours on foot from his accommodation.
Ofelia Medina Hernandez, whose brother owns the Airbnb, reported seeing Slater walking uphill, away from Los Cristianos where he had rented a flat. She noted, “The terrain here is treacherous, and it’s easy to lose one’s bearings.”
On 17 June, around 8:30 am, Slater phoned his friend Lucy Law, reporting that he was lost, thirsty, and his mobile phone battery was nearly depleted.
Reacting to the news, Law shared on Instagram: “Words fail me. Jay, you were always the most cheerful person in any room, truly one of a kind. You’ll be sorely missed.”
The Guardia Civil stated that one of their mountain rescue teams discovered Slater’s body during a ground search, exactly four weeks after his disappearance.
An extensive search operation had been conducted, utilising dogs, helicopters, and drones to navigate the challenging terrain. Although scaled back after a fortnight, the search continued with volunteer experts from both Spain and the UK joining the efforts.
El Día, a Tenerife newspaper, reported that the body’s location was so inaccessible that a helicopter was required for recovery. On Tuesday, rescue teams continued to meticulously search the dense vegetation to ensure nothing had been overlooked.
Matthew Searle from LBT Global, a British charity assisting overseas missing persons, stated that they are working with Slater’s family on the next steps, including recovering his belongings and repatriating his body.
Searle requested privacy for Slater’s family and called for an end to harmful speculation on social media, referring to conspiracy theories that have proliferated online since Slater’s disappearance.
