A “massive search” for British teenager Jay Slater will get under way in Tenerife today, almost two weeks after the apprentice bricklayer went missing.

The Civil Guard said they would step up their search for the 19-year-old after appealing for volunteer associations, such as firefighters, and individual volunteers with experience in navigating difficult terrain to help them.

Police and volunteers will begin their search at 9am in the village of Masca, near Mr Slater‘s last-known location, and attempt to retrace his last-known steps.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

In a statement, police said: “The massive search will be carried out on Saturday, 29 June from 9am.

“Bearing in mind that this is an abrupt, rocky area, full of unevenness and with a multitude of ravines, paths and roads, the collaboration of all those associations of volunteers who can help in this raid that is intended to be carried out in a directed and coordinated manner is requested.”

Sky’s North of England correspondent Shingi Mararike in Tenerife said the search “is perhaps a final push from the Civil Guard to make some kind of headway”.

Mr Slater, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared after trying to walk back to his accommodation after missing a bus on Monday last week.

Jay Slater: Today feels like the beginning of one last push to try to find missing teenager

Jay Slater friend says he saw teen slipping down hill in video call moments before he went missing

Jay Slater’s family welcomes TikToker in search for missing teen in Tenerife

He was last pictured at Papayago, the nightclub hosting the end of the New Rave Generation festival, late on 16 June.

👉 Click here to follow the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts👈

Slater seen by cafe owner

After the event ended, he got in a car with two men, travelling to a small Airbnb in Masca, where a local cafe owner told Sky News he tried to catch a bus back to Los Cristianos, where he was staying.

Ofelia Medina Hernandez said she saw him at 8am on 17 June, and added: “He asked twice what time the bus came.

“He came back and he asked me again, and I told him again, at 10 o’clock. Later I got in my car, and I saw him, he was walking quickly, but I didn’t see him again after that.”

She said he was walking in the wrong direction.

Read more on Sky News:
‘My son went missing – I know how Jay’s parents feel’
Spanish police release new footage of search for Jay Slater
Jay Slater’s father describes ‘nightmare’ of son’s disappearance

Last phone call

It comes after one of Mr Slater’s friends told ITV’s This Morning about his last video call with the 19-year-old.

Brad Hargreaves said he saw the missing teenager’s feet slide on rocks during a call at around 8.30am, saying that is how he knew Mr Slater was not on a road.

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

He then said Mr Slater went down a “little drop” in one of his last video calls, and added: “He said, ‘look where I am’.

“He didn’t seem concerned on the phone until we knew how far away he was. I said, ‘put your location on’. He said: ’15-minute drive, 14-hour walk’.

“I don’t know if it’s accurate or not so I said to him: ‘It’s only a 15-minute drive, get a taxi’.”

Search teams coordinated by the Civil Guard have since mounted a huge manhunt using helicopters, drones and search dogs to scour mountainous areas of the island, but are yet to find the teenager.

Related posts:

Queen to mark her 95th birthday without Prince Philip Juventus chairman says European Super League can no longer go ahead First weekend of outdoor gatherings set to stay cold as brighter weather on the horizon UK reports more than 9,000 new COVID cases – the highest daily total since February The mask divide: How people are split ahead of the final lockdown lifting ‘Difficult decision’: Oti Mabuse leaving Strictly ‘Like her, I am an optimist’: William hails Queen’s commitment to the environment during Platinum Party at Palace People against monarchy ‘have right to protest’, police say – after man with a blank sign confronted Benjamin Mendy accuser ‘asked for Jack Grealish’s number after alleged rape’ William and Kate to meet volunteers as millions take part in the Big Help Out Man who manipulated girl into having sex with strangers jailed Man charged with murder after 23-year-old found dead on Christmas Eve