Spanish police have refused to say whether Jay Slater‘s disappearance is linked to a reported scuffle outside a nightclub at a Tenerife resort. An Eastern European man allegedly had his Rolex watch stolen.
One of Mr Slater’s pals had told detectives the incident led to his going missing, MailOnline reports. A theory reportedly being looked into is that the timepiece ended up at a remote cottage in the village of Masca where Mr Slater travelled to with two men after partying at the NRG music festival two weeks ago.
But Tenerife’s Guardia Civil continues to treat Mr Slater’s case as a missing person investigation rather than a criminal probe.
Mr Slater, 19, an apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared after setting off to walk back to his accommodation from an AirBnB in the remote village of Masca to Los Cristianos on the holiday island on June 17.
A search operation for the missing holidaymaker was declared as having ended on Sunday (June 30), although the case remains open – and police will continue to act on any new information or tip-offs.
Helicopters, drones and search dogs were deployed to find Mr Slater, with members of his family also taking part in the search.
On Friday, Guardia Civil appealed for volunteer associations, such as firefighters and experienced volunteers with knowledge of rugged terrain to help in a “busqueda masiva” – massive search – on Saturday.
The search in the village of Masca, near his last-known location, took in a steep rocky area, including ravines, trails and paths.
An unnamed source described by the Manchester Evening News as “well-placed” said today (June 30): “Nothing of any relevance was found during yesterday’s large-scale search.”
The last person to speak to Mr Slater was his friend Lucy Law. She said Mr Slater told her in a frantic phone call before he went missing that he was “lost in the mountains, he wasn’t aware of his surroundings, he desperately needed a drink and his phone was on one percent”.
A GoFundMe appeal, Get Jay Slater Home, was set up by Miss Law, raising more than £43,000 as the police search came to an end.
Mr Slater’s mother, Debbie Duncan, travelled to the island as the search took place.
She said the money raised online would be used to support mountain rescue teams, and to cover her own accommodation and food costs.