British teen vanishes in Tenerife after a festival

Music festivals around the world attract tens of thousands of interested participants. Coachella, Burning Man, and Tomorrowland connect music fans from all over the globe. These types of events come with not only joy and gigantic bills but also potential dangers. Date rape pills dropped into drinks, theft, sexual assaults, beatings, and finally - disappearances or death. The family of the 19-year-old Briton who went missing after the NRG festival knows this all too well.

Nineteen-year-old Jay Slater from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, England, flew to the Canary Islands with friends. The group wanted to attend the NRG festival, which took place from June 14 to June 16, 2024, in Tenerife. The trip to the Spanish islands was supposed to be the first one Jay flew to alone, without his parents. After the festival, Jay decided to visit newly made acquaintances in the northwestern part of the island.

Jay went missing on Monday, June 17. The last person who spoke to him was his friend Lucy Law, whom he called around 2 AM ET. He mentioned that he missed the bus and intended to return to his friends on foot. He probably didn't realize the hike would take him about 11 kilometres. Jay also mentioned that a cactus had injured his leg, and his phone was about to die. Lucy Law managed to ask him to return to the new acquaintances before the call dropped.

The day after Jay went missing in Tenerife, his parents and brother flew in. The family wants to assist the Spanish police in their search efforts. Currently, the officers are focusing on the Teno Nature Park area. This was the last place where the missing person's phone logged on. This part of Tenerife is arid, with no rivers or lakes, which could contribute to Jay’s dehydration. During his phone conversation with Lucy Law, he mentioned he was thirsty. British law enforcement from Lancashire offered Guardia Civil support, but the Spanish government declined, stating they had adequate tools.

A week has passed since Jay Slater's disappearance. Despite extensive search efforts, he is still considered missing, which takes a toll on his family's mental health. In an interview with "The Guardian," Jay's mother, Debbie Duncan, said they are not coping. They haven't slept and are exhausted. It has been terrible for them.

Lucy Law decided to take action. She started a GoFundMe fundraiser, writing: "I woke up to a phone call off Jay at 8:30 AM saying "he was lost in the mountains, he wasn’t aware of his surroundings, he desperately needed a drink & his phone was on 1%". He had met 2 people on Sunday night and left with them to go to their apartment. Their apartment was miles away from civilisation and in a very secluded location. He left at 8am, and walked half an hour before frantically ringing me when his phone reached 1%. This was 3 days ago now, and no one has seen or heard from him since. His last location was on an off road track, which was a 10 hour walk from his hotel. The weather conditions up there are terrible for someone in shorts & a t-shirt, both in the day & at night. He has no water for when it’s warm through out the day, and he has no coat/suitable clothing for when it’s cold at night. It was 1 degree and extremely windy when I was out looking in the middle of the night We are all so worried and we just want him home."

The NRG festival, where Jay was having fun, also commented on Jay Slater's disappearance.