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Tech skilled claims Jay Slater’s telephone ‘might nonetheless be tracked on one situation’

A tech expert has urged Spanish police to try tracking the last known location of missing British teenager Jay Slater’s phone.

The 19-year-old from Lancashire was reported missing in Tenerife more than a week ago (June 17) after he called his friend Lucy, telling her he was lost in a rural area of the island with only 1% battery left on his phone.

His last known location was half a mile north of Masca village. Despite ongoing efforts by emergency workers, including the Civil Guard, mountain rescue team and fire crews, the challenging terrain of the Rural de Teno park is proving difficult to search.

READ MORE: Jay Slater ‘seen watching Euros football matches on Tenerife coast’, mayor claims

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Jay Slater has been missing for nearly two weeks
Jay Slater has been missing for nearly two weeks

However, a leading tech expert – who wishes to remain anonymous given the intense media scrutiny surrounding the search – has urged the Guardia Civil to try and track the phone’s last known location.

Speaking exclusively to the Daily Star, the expert who has more than 25 years experience in the industry, said: “The battery was on 1% during his last call, so it could have continued on for at least another 10/15 minutes – unless he had it on batter saver, meaning it could have gone on longer.



'They could still track the phone,' the expert said
‘They could still track the phone,’ the expert said

“Even though the phone is now clearly dead, the last location could be tracked depending on what it is. If it’s a newer iPhone, you can use satellite data to find it as that’s one of the new features created by Apple. If it’s Android, you will still be able to find it, but only if it was within range of a phone mast of some kind.

“The fact that he made a call shortly before, does seem to suggest it was near a mast – this is an avenue worth going down, and one we haven’t heard if Guardia Civil has done yet.



The tracking could reveal a key detail (stock)
The tracking could reveal a key detail (stock)

“However, the only downside to this is that you’ll only be able to find it’s last tracked location . . . so if the phone has since moved, you won’t find it once you get there, although it could still help guide the search in a different direction.”

The Guardia Civil has never commented on the phone or whether or not it has been tracked, and the Daily Star has reached out to them for a comment.

The search continues.

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