The mountaineer helping Jay Slater‘s family search for the missing teen has pinpointed three major issues hampering efforts.
Shane Yerrell, an experienced mountaineer and mayor of Waltham Abbey, Essex, has joined Jay Slater’s family as they comb the remote and rugged countryside in Tenerife for the missing teen who vanished more than three weeks ago.
After Spanish authorities called off their search last weekend, Jay’s desperate family have continued their hunt, with the support of volunteers who have travelled to the Spanish island from across Europe.
READ MORE: Jay Slater pal Lucy Mae Law quits search and goes home as she’s ‘done all she can’
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They continue to scour the remote area around the village of Masca, where Jay’s phone last pinged on Monday, June 17.
Yerrell, who has recently joined efforts, was quick to work out that altitude, extreme heat and a vast wilderness have made progress slow and hard going.
He said: “It’s really not easy. I struggled on the mountain and so did his family, but it didn’t bother them because their priority is powering through to find Jay.
“The altitude and the heat makes it really difficult and the mountain is massive.
(Image: Stan Kujawa)
“You go over one edge and then there’s another bit. It’s unbelievable out there. It would take weeks or months to cover.”
Jay’s dad Warren had previously shared his concern over the size of the area search efforts are focussed on. He feared it would take “an army 10 years” to scour the entire area, as he begged British police to join the search.
(Image: FACEBOOK)
The mountain expert continued: “They’re just living on hope. It’s awful – they’ve got no answers. They don’t know whether Jay is alive or dead.
“They are doing everything to find him. They’re not just out for an hour, they’re out all day 9.30am until 6pm.
(Image: PA)
“I feel for all of them, his dad in particular. I’m a parent and my child is only a few years younger than Jay. The whole thing is heartbreaking not having any answers.”
The 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, had gone back to the Airbnb of two Brits he had met at the NRG rave at the Papagayo nightclub on Sunday, June 16.
(Image: MEN Media)
He left early the following morning, and embarked on an 11-hour walk back to his accomodation he was sharing with two mates.
He then called his pal Lucy Law to tell her he was lost, hungry and thirsty, and only had 1% battery left on his phone, before disappearing without a trace.
Spanish police say they are continuing to pursue several lines of investigation and still hope to find the teenager alive.
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