Body is found in hunt for missing teenager Jay Slater as Spanish police say cause of death is likely to have been ‘an accident or fall’ in remote mountainous part of Tenerife

A body has been found in the search for missing British teenager Jay Slater, who disappeared almost a month ago on the Spanish island of Tenerife.

The 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, had not been heard from since the morning of June 17.

Although Spanish police are still awaiting full identification, they say “everything indicates that it is a young British man” who disappeared on the same date – and that the cause of death was likely an “accident or fall”.

Jay attended the final night of the three-day NRG music festival in Playa de Las Americas, before returning to a £40-a-night Airbnb in the remote village of Masca, in the northwest of Tenerife, with two older British men he met there.

While walking back to his accommodation in the south of the island, Jay called a friend to say he was lost, severely dehydrated and his phone battery was down to one percent.

His disappearance, which sparked wild conspiracy theories from cruel trolls online, prompted a major search and rescue mission as Spanish police combed the mountainous landscape around Masca.

However, the official search was called off after just twelve days, prompting a furious response from his desperate family, who claimed they had been “left in the dark”.

A spokesman for the Guardia Civil said today: ‘After 29 days of continuous searching, the young man’s body has been found in the Masca district.

Jay Slater was last heard from on June 17, when he called a friend to say he was lost in a mountainous area and his phone had only 1 percent battery left

The £40-a-night Casa Abuela Tina holiday home near the remote village of Masca where Jay spent his final hours before he disappeared

‘The discovery was possible thanks to the tireless and discreet search carried out by the Guardia Civil over the past 29 days.

‘Everything points to the body being that of the young British man who disappeared on June 17, pending full identification.

‘Initial investigation indicates that he had an accident/fall in the area where he was found.’

In a more extensive statement, the police added: ‘Officers of the Guardia Civil, belonging to the Mountain Rescue and Intervention Group (GREIM), found the body of a young man this morning in the area of ​​Masca, in the municipality of Buenavista del Norte.

‘All indications are that it is the young British man who had been missing for 29 days and may have died in an accidental fall in the rugged and inaccessible terrain where he was found.

‘Thanks to the incessant and continuous search carried out by the various units of the Guardia Civil, which searched for the young man every day in the Masca district where he is believed to have disappeared, the GREIM agents found the young man’s body in a very difficult to access place.

“The autopsy results still need to confirm that it was an accident.”

GREIM agents led the search after Jay disappeared on June 17 after leaving an Airbnb in Masca.

Apprentice bricklayer Jay, 19, disappeared after being driven to a remote Air BnB

Jay Slater’s last Snapchat from the remote Airbnb before he disappeared. It’s not the same Snapchat where he ‘admitted to stealing an expensive watch’.

A 13-day search by police using drones, dogs and a helicopter turned up no trace of Jay

Volunteers search for Jay in Masca as teen remains missing

A visible search involving helicopters and sniffer dogs lasted nearly two weeks before police announced the search was being called off.

They haven’t said publicly that it will go ahead and there were few signs that it would happen on a smaller scale.

Police reported on June 30, after calling for volunteers for a “final search” the day before: “The search is now complete, but the case is still open.”

A reliable source added: ‘The daily operation that was going on in and around Masca, near where Jay was last seen, has ended.

‘If information comes in that warrants a new investigation, action will be taken.

‘I understand Jay’s parents have been notified of what is clearly a significant development.

‘Nothing relevant was found during yesterday’s large-scale search.’

Jay’s mother Debbie Duncan and father Warren Slater leave the Guardia Civil in Playa de las Americas on July 2

Jay’s family released this photo of the missing teen last month

Jay was on his first ever friends holiday with Lucy Law (pictured) and Brad Hargreaves when he disappeared in Tenerife

Brad Hargreaves (pictured) also said he spoke to Jay on the phone before he disappeared

Jay was last seen by a local resident in Masca in north-west Tenerife just after 8am on 17th June. He was walking north along the road out of the village. He had stopped to ask her for directions as he was returning to his accommodation in south Tenerife.

The last time his phone beeped was near a lookout point where search teams gathered on June 29 to begin the final day of the operation.

Friend Lucy Law said Jay called her shortly after he was last seen to say he was thirsty, had no water and his phone battery was down to one percent.

It was not immediately clear today where the body was found.

The investigation led to wild speculation online, via platforms such as TikTok. A number of internet detectives also flew to Tenerife to help with the search.

Jay’s mother Debbie Duncan had yesterday criticized the “horrible comments and conspiracy theories” posted on social media, calling them “disgusting” and saying they were “obstructing” the investigation.

Mrs Duncan yesterday posted an update on the GoFundMe page she set up for her son’s search, which has raised more than £53,000.

She said the family called in rescue experts from the Netherlands to help find the teenager after Spanish police called off their search.