Police in Tenerife are narrowing their search for missing teen Jay Slater after it was revealed they are scouring baron caves in a remote nature reserve.
Spanish investigators believe the 19-year-old may have fallen into a ravine in the vast Teno Rural Park near where Jay stayed with two men last Sunday after attending a rave at the Papagayo Beach Club with his friends.
Jay returned to an Airbnb in the remote village of Masca with two men he had met on holiday - with the teen last seen walking uphill in the Parque Rural de Teno, in the north-western region of the island
Police had dispatched helicopters and drones in the national park, near a location where the teen's phone last pinged. However, on Thursday, cops focused on a new area in the Masca Valley and were widening their investigation on a ravine further along the national park, which saw caves near Los Carrizales also being searched.
Video taken by Guardia Civil in Tenerife shows officers searching this particular area - but authorities have yet to confirm any significant updates.
However, a well-placed source has warned it is "very unlikely Jay has survived if he got lost in the mountains". They continued: "No one at the moment is talking about the search being brought to an end, even though it’s very unlikely Jay has survived if he got lost in the mountains in the way we were told he did.
"There will be a point when the operation that’s taking place at the moment has to at least be scaled back but right now the search teams appear to have decided they want to give themselves more time."
Meanwhile, Debbie Duncan, Jay's mother, conceded yesterday "It is difficult to wrap our heads around what is happening right now" but she stressed the family is not giving up hope despite the pain.
She added: "First, I would like to thank everyone for your support, kind messages, and good wishes. It's difficult to wrap our heads around what is happening right now, but we are not losing hope that we will find Jay and return home together.
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"We are currently working with GoFundMe to withdraw part of the funds, which are being safely held. I wanted to share that these funds will be used to support the mountain rescue teams who are tirelessly searching for Jay. Additionally, since our stay in Tenerife needs to be extended, we will also use the funds to cover accommodation and food expenses.
"I'm surrounded by wonderful people who are by my side, but far from their loved ones, so we'll also be using part of these funds to fly them to Tenerife so we can support each other during these dark times. Thank you again for all your donations and support, this means the world to us."