Missing Jay Slater's mum 'overwhelmed' by support

The mother of missing teenager Jay Slater said his family have been "overwhelmed by kindness and support", as they continue efforts to search for him in Tenerife.

The 19-year-old from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, has been missing since 17 June, after he told a friend he was lost in the mountains.

Tenerife's Guardia Civil has since called off the search for the missing apprentice bricklayer.

His mother, Debbie Duncan, thanked a local hiking group as well as local volunteers who are continuing to search for her son.

In an update on GoFundMe, which has so far raised more than £50,000, Ms Duncan said: "We have been overwhelmed by the kindness and support we have received and would like to thank the local hiking group for all of their help planning the routes to find our Jay.

"We have been contacted by a wonderful group of locals who have volunteered to continue the search."

She added: "While they don’t wish to accept financial help for their search, we will be supporting them with supplies and are so grateful for their willingness to help."

Mr Slater travelled to the Spanish island on 13 June to attend the NRG music festival with two friends before his disappearance.

It was the teenager's first holiday abroad without his parents.

However, he disappeared after setting off to walk back to his accommodation after travelling to an Airbnb with two friends he met at the event.

Helicopters, drones and search dogs were deployed to find Mr Slater, but to no avail.

His last known location was the Rural de Teno Park in the north of the island – which was about an 11-hour walk from where he was staying.

Ms Duncan said the family continue to be contacted by "experienced groups offering to support our search".

She said they were talking to them "about what they can do to assist".

However, she added: "In order for us to employ their help, they need to have permission from the Spanish authorities."

Ms Duncan added the family were "so grateful for your continued support to bring our boy home".

Earlier this week, Ms Duncan told of her "pain and agony" after searches failed to find her son.

“Words cannot describe the pain and agony we are experiencing," she said.

"He is our beautiful boy with his whole life ahead of him and we just want to find him.”

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