Jay Slater search update as family urged to use £47k GoFundMe after 'new clue' (2024)

Paul Arnott (right) joined in the search for Jay Slater (right) (Image: Facebook / TikTok @DOWNTHERAPIDS)

As Jay Slater has now gone missing for over two weeks, a volunteer in the unofficial search for the missing Brit teen has found a promising “new clue”.

Spanish police announced the end of the official search for Jay, who vanished on Monday 17 June after attending the NRG music festival in Tenerife, on Sunday, June 30. Jay's family have urged volunteers to keep scouring the area and help them find their missing loved one.

Tiktoker and experienced climber Paul Arnott, who joined the search a few days ago, found a pair of sunglasses similar to the ones Jay was last seen wearing close to where the missing Brit’s phone last pinged, sparking hopes of a new lead.

Despite the call to action, Jay's dad admitted that the low turnout of volunteers in the search for his son was "disappointing". Arnott, of the six volunteers who showed up to help the search party, slammed the whole thing as a "ridiculous" waste of time.

He said: "This is ridiculous. Everyone's in their cars, it's all chat, chat, chat. My morning's been wasted. I've been so quiet about this, I'm not doing it anymore. I'm sick of this c***.

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"I thought today was going to be so productive. I thought so many people were going to show up. I thought it was going to be massive and it's not. It's absolute madness guys."

Jay Slater, 19, was reported missing after attending a three-day music festival. After meeting two men on his night out, he reportedly stayed the night at their Airbnb near Masca in the northwest of the island, about an 11-hour walk from his accommodation in Los Cristianos in the south.

In the morning, he called his friend Lucy Law while attempting to make the journey back on foot, with no water and his phone on 1% battery. Jay hasn't been seen or heard from since.

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Mark Williams-Thomas is best known for uncovering the Jimmy Savile scandal (Image: Stan Kujawa)

Since Jay has gone missing, relatives have set up a GoFundMe page to finance the search efforts, which has now reached over £47,000. Renowned detective Mark Williams-Thomas, who flew down to Tenerife about a week ago, has suggested the family withdraw and use this money to hire professionals.

"In light of the police search ending, I have suggested the family should use the GoFundMe money to continue the search using experts in searching", he said.

“I would appeal again, if you have any ‘direct information’ having spoken to Jay or anyone that was with him overnight 16/17th and have not yet been in contact please do so.”

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