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Sunday, December 22, 2024

GoFundMe page for missing Jay Slater surpasses its £30,000 target just three days after it was set up


A fundraising page set up to raise funds for the family of missing teenager Jay Slater has hit its target just three days after being set up.

The GoFundMe page was set up by Lucy Mae a friend of Jay who was the last person he was in contact with before he disappeared in Tenerife last Monday.

The apprentice bricklayer vanished on Monday after going to a three-day energy music festival in Tenerife – sparking a week-long investigation by Spanish police.

Since it was set up more than 2,900 people have donated to the fundraiser and passed along their well wishes to his family, with the page reaching its target of £30,000 at 3pm today.

In a statement on the site Jay’s mother, Debbie Duncan, thanked everyone who had donated for their ‘generosity and kindness during this difficult time’.

She added: ‘I just wanted to confirm that this is the only GoFundMe fundraiser approved by our family.

GoFundMe page for missing Jay Slater surpasses its £30,000 target just three days after it was set up

Jay Slater, pictured, went missed on the island of Tenerife on Monday morning with the search for him now entering its seventh day

A GoFundMe page set up to raise money for Jay Slater's family has reached its £30,000 target after just three days

A GoFundMe page set up to raise money for Jay Slater’s family has reached its £30,000 target after just three days

Search teams focus on a mountainous area near the village of Masca in their search for Jay Slater today

Search teams focus on a mountainous area near the village of Masca in their search for Jay Slater today

‘We have not yet withdrawn any funds and are currently covering the expenses, such as the trip to Tenerife and accommodation, ourselves.

‘The funds will remain on hold with GoFundMe until we post a further update on this page.

‘We are extremely worried and are doing everything we can to find Jay.

‘Please continue to share our fundraiser far and wide. Your support means the world to us, and we are grateful for any help you can provide.

‘Thank you again.’

Debbie and other members of Jay’s family, including his father and brother, have travelled to the Spanish island to help search for him.

The last person he had been in contact was Lucy, having called his 18-year-old friend  at around 8am on Monday from a secluded mountain pass in Masca.

The Lancashire teenager told her he was  ‘lost in the mountains with no water’ and one per cent battery on his mobile, with the phone’s last signal close to the Masca gorge beauty spot.

The walk from Jay’s last known location to his accommodation would have taken about 11 hours on foot.

Lucy Mae Law, 18, has blasted Spanish police for rejecting an offer from British officers to help in the search for missing British teenager Jay Slater

Lucy Mae Law, 18, has blasted Spanish police for rejecting an offer from British officers to help in the search for missing British teenager Jay Slater

Apprentice bricklayer Jay, 19, vanished last Monday after leaving a Tenerife nightclub

Apprentice bricklayer Jay, 19, vanished last Monday after leaving a Tenerife nightclub

Apprentice bricklayer Jay Slater, 19, pictured here with his mother Debbie Duncan, was last heard from on Monday at 8.50am

Apprentice bricklayer Jay Slater, 19, pictured here with his mother Debbie Duncan, was last heard from on Monday at 8.50am

Lucy, who attended the NRG music festival with Jay, said he told of not being aware of his surroundings, desperately needing a drink but having no water.

Police are currently searching for Jay in the Teno Nature Reserve, referred to as ‘malpais’ by locals – a word that translates into English as ‘badland’.

Lucy has said she doesn’t think the Spanish police, also known as the Guardia Civil, are doing a good job.

In a statement released late on Friday, Lancashire Police said it had ‘made an offer of support to the Guardia Civil’ but this was declined after local cops said they were ‘satisfied that they have the resources they need’.

Lucy blasted: ‘We are having to do this all by ourselves as Spanish police are not doing a good enough job.

‘They don’t even speak English. It’s been a very slow process here so we need the British police to come out and help them.’

She told of wanting to ‘bring him home to his family’, adding: ‘That is all we want, all that we need.’

When asked how she felt that the offer from British cops to help had been declined, Jay’s mother Debbie Duncan told MailOnline: ‘I had a screaming and shouting day when I had the meeting with the police.

A new picture of missing teenager Jay Slater shows the 19-year-old in a nightclub in the early hours with his female friend Lucy Law just hours before he disappeared in Tenerife

A new picture of missing teenager Jay Slater shows the 19-year-old in a nightclub in the early hours with his female friend Lucy Law just hours before he disappeared in Tenerife

The mountain range in Rural de Teno near the village of Masca where police were searching

The mountain range in Rural de Teno near the village of Masca where police were searching

Jay's mother Debbie Duncan has made a direct appeal to her son, telling him 'we just need you home' as the search for him enters its seventh day

Jay’s mother Debbie Duncan has made a direct appeal to her son, telling him ‘we just need you home’ as the search for him enters its seventh day 

‘I know the Spanish police mean well, but the problem we are having is the language barrier, we just don’t seem to be getting told. I’m sure they are doing their best.

‘They told me they had used dogs and drones and then they said Lancashire police had offered their resources but they turned it down, but I think that would have really helped.

‘I would feel happier if our people were over helping. It’s just so difficult not knowing where he is, the area and the terrain is rough, but the police were saying that now there are too many people up there and it could interfere with their investigation.

Meanwhile, Jay’s distraught father Warren, 58, has fought back tears as he told of just wanting ‘my boy back’ as he and Jay’s brother Zak, 24, visited the spot where his phone last pinged and hugged each other in emotional scenes.

Choking back tears Warren, wearing a bucket hat, sunglasses and black t shirt, said: ‘He’s my son. I just want him back.’

The visit came as a bombshell new video of missing Jay dancing shirtless in a Tenerife nightclub just hours before he disappeared has emerged.

Warren and Zak were joined by other family and friends at the place which has been the focus of attention all week by police.

The pair journeyed to a remote gorge above the village of Masca, 19 miles from the party resort of Playa de les Americas at an altitude of 3000ft to where Jay’s mobile phone last pinged on Monday morning.

Warren Slater and his son Zak, 24, were joined by other family and friends at the remote mountain spot where his mobile phone last pinged on Monday morning

Warren Slater and his son Zak, 24, were joined by other family and friends at the remote mountain spot where his mobile phone last pinged on Monday morning

Jay Slater was see dancing shirtless in Papagayo nightclub (pictured) which is at the end of the notorious Veronica's Strip area of Playa de las Americas in Tenerife

Jay Slater was see dancing shirtless in Papagayo nightclub (pictured) which is at the end of the notorious Veronica’s Strip area of Playa de las Americas in Tenerife

They looked on as mountain rescue teams and civil protection units with high-powered binoculars scanned the cactus strewn ravine looking for clues.

Friends of Jay who had flown in from Britain were also among the group and they spent several hours at the scene as search teams explained what they were doing.

Warren and Zak also visited the Air BnB where Jay had gone after the festival with two British men and from where he sent two Snapchat messages to his friend Lucy.

In the new clip of Jay which has emerged, he is seen dancing shirtless in Papagayo nightclub which is at the end me of the notorious Veronica’s Strip area of Playa de las Americas.

The after-party is known to have wrapped up at 5am and an hour later Jay was with two mystery British men at their £40-a-night AirBnB 19 miles away at Masca.

It was here that a woman made the last confirmed sighting of Jay at about 8.15am, saying he was walking at pace up the hill and away from Playa de las Americas.

Jay’s mum Debbie, 55, who has flown out to Tenerife from her home at Oswaldtwistle, told MailOnline there had been a sighting of someone resembling her son at around 6pm the day he disappeared by the church at Santiago de Teide which is back towards Playa de las Americas.

She said the man had told police he was ‘with two men sitting on a bench by the church looking a little worse for wear’ however at the moment it has not been confirmed this was Jay.

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