The teenager died after he fell into a ravine in Tenerife
Jay Slater died after he went missing in Tenerife(Image: Undated family photo)
The inquest into the death of Jay Slater who died in Tenerife is set to reopen today. The 19-year-old, an apprentice bricklayer, from Oswaldtwistle, had flown to Tenerife with friends in June last year to attend the NRG music festival in Playa de las Americas.
After the event, on June 17, Jay travelled with two men to an Airbnb in the Rural de Teno national park, when a few hours later he decided to walk back to the apartment he was staying in with his friends.
He called one of his friends saying he was lost, thirsty, and his phone had one per cent battery, but never arrived at the apartment. He was reported missing and his disappearance sparked a huge search to locate the teen.
After a month-long search, Jay’s body was sadly 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 Slater embracing his mum Debbie(Image: Facebook)
Jay’s body was returned to Lancashire for his funeral and Lancashire’s Senior Coroner Dr James Adeley opened an inquest. A final hearing was set to take place in May this year, however the inquest was adjourned after witnesses “could not be located” despite months-long police efforts to find them.
Jay’s mum Debbie Duncan was asked by Lancashire’s Senior Coroner Dr James Adeley at the time whether she was content for their initial statements to be read into evidence. However, she pleaded with him to bring “these people in front of us”.
Two of the friends he had travelled to the island with, Lucy Law and Bradley Geoghan (also known as Bradley Hargreaves), were on holiday, the court heard.
Jay Slater with his mum Debbie Duncan (Image: Pixel8000)
The Metropolitan Police had also tried to locate Ayub Qassim and Steven Roccas, who were renting an AirBnB which Jay travelled to, but neither man could be found.
She told the inquest: “I know you tried to locate them but how can we ever get any understanding? We know he died, we know he had an accident, but from him leaving that holiday resort to going up there?
“We read the statements. There are things that we want to question. We want these people in front of us. My son went on holiday and didn’t come back so there are questions we need to ask. Please.”
Dr Adeley agreed to pause the hearing saying: “In view of your distress we will make attempts to find them using whatever means we can.”
The hearing is set to resume today, Thursday, July 24 to hear a further two days of evidence. The inquest has already heard Jay, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancs, died after he fell into a ravine in Tenerife.
The apprentice bricklayer’s body was found by Spanish police in a remote national park on July 15, with severe head injuries consistent with a fall from height.