TWO friends Jay Slater was on holiday with in Tenerife before he vanished “can’t be located”, an inquest heard today.
The 19-year-old’s body was found in a ravine in the remote Rural de Teno National Park last July after an agonising 29-day search.
Louis WoodJay Slater, 19, died while on holiday in Tenerife[/caption]
Ian WhittakerA post-mortem examination concluded he died of traumatic head injuries[/caption]
Apprentice bricklayer Jay flew to the Spanish island last June to attend the NRG music festival in Playa de las Americas with two friends, Lucy Law and Brad Hargreaves.
The teen travelled to an Airbnb apartment in Masca with two men in the early hours of June 17, before leaving at around 8am.
Jay, of Oswaldtwistle, Lancs, decided to attempt the treacherous 25-mile walk back to his apartment in Los Cristianos.
He called Lucy at 8.50am saying he had cut his leg, was lost, dehydrated and had just one per cent battery on his phone.
His mobile last pinged in the mountainous Rural de Teno Park after Jay walked the wrong way from the Airbnb.
After a month-long search, Jay’s body was found in a ravine on July 15 last year, near to where his phone last pinged.
A post-mortem examination concluded he died of traumatic head injuries, consistent with a fall from height.
Jay’s body was identified using a palm print after being compared with records held by the police, Lancashire Constabulary’s senior fingerprint expert Cheryl McGowan told an inquest hearing today.
The court also heard how Jay’s friends Lucy and Brad “can’t be located”.
Senior Coroner Dr James Adeley said: “We can’t find them.
“They have denied who they are and we have had police looking for them but we can’t find them.”
Jay’s disappearance sparked widespread media interest – as well as a slew of social media conspiracy theories.
His distraught mum Debbie Duncan, dad Warren Slater and brother Zak jetted to Tenerife to join the search as they desperately awaited answers.
Devastated Debbie previously opened up to The Sun about how she is tortured by “so many questions” over what happened when he went missing.
The grieving mum said she “could not get her head around” why Jay got into a car with two older men after the music festival and went to their Airbnb apartment.
School assistant Debbie also questioned why his friend Lucy did not race to pick him up.
Fighting back tears, she told The Sun: “I don’t know what he thought he was doing by going with these two guys. I really don’t know.
“I can’t get my head round why he just didn’t go back to his own friends, and went with them.
“In our minds, we think he’s not realised where he was going.
“And it was dark. I just think he’s not even thought about or knew which direction he was going.”
Brave Debbie also told how Jay was a “loving and popular” teen who “had the world at his feet”.
Louis WoodJay’s devastated mum Debbie beside his grave[/caption]
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