Displaying items by tag: Tenerife

The search for 19-year-old Jay Slater, missing since 17 June, continues in Tenerife with a multi-agency effort marked by silence from authorities. Despite the intense search in the rugged terrain of the Rural de Teno national park, involving the Civil Guard, specialist sniffer dogs, and drones, agencies have been reluctant to comment, fuelling online conspiracy theories. The operation, initially sprawling, has now focused on a specific ravine with a water source. Officers start their search at 8 am, navigating difficult terrain with special equipment. Weather conditions have varied, complicating the search efforts. As each day ends without answers, the lack of updates adds to the anguish of Jay's loved ones, who continue to wait for news. His family remains hopeful; his mother, Debbie Duncan, is urging the public to pray for her son and expressing faith in the search teams.

Jay Slater, 19, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, has gone missing in Tenerife after attempting an 11-hour walk back to his accommodation following a night out. On 17 June he told his friend Lucy he was lost, needed water, and had only 1% phone battery. His phone then cut off. Former Coronation Street actress Vicky Entwistle, a distant relation, urged prayers for his safe return. His mother Debbie has flown to Tenerife to aid the search efforts, joining local authorities and a specialist mountain rescue team. A Facebook group with over 142,000 members has also been set up to assist. The foreign office is supporting the family. Slater's stepfather described him as 'streetwise' but feared he got lost in the dark, while his mother believes he was disoriented by the unfamiliar area. Emergency services, including firefighters and a police helicopter, are involved in the search.

Almost 3,000 people have had to evacuate their homes in Tenerife as a wildfire, caused by embers left smouldering from an August blaze, re-ignited on the Spanish island. Unseasonably hot weather (up to 39°C) sparked the flames, which engulfed the north east of the island on 5 October. About 2,400 people have been evacuated from the town of Santa Ursula and another 600 from La Orotava. Teams of firefighters and six water-dropping helicopters worked to battle the fire overnight. The August fire had been brought under control but was never completely extinguished, with embers still burning in the forest. The firefighters have requested support from the army’s military emergency unit. The island’s councillor in charge of emergencies, Blanca Perez, told local radio this fire ‘has been stabilised, we are seeing how it evolves to determine if in a few hours residents can return to their homes’.