The Disappearance of Jay Slater: Last Message Found for a Friend.

The Tragic Story of Jay Slater

According to The Sun: 19-year-old Jay Slater wrote to a friend in his last, yet-to-be-sent message on Snapchat: 'I won’t survive'. This message became known only after his death.

It is now known that the young man was traveling to Tenerife for the NRG music festival, but went missing when he was taken about 30 miles into the mountains to an Airbnb.

Jay died after falling from a height of about 80 feet while trying to return to his accommodation in Los Cristianos from the village of Masca on June 17 last year.

Jay's body was found only a month later after lengthy searches conducted by his relatives, in a dangerous ravine.

His family is currently grappling with thriving conspiracy theories online, as detailed in a new documentary.

In the film, Jay's mother, Debbie Duncan, recalls finding the unfinished message on Snapchat when she was able to unlock her son's phone.

‘When we logged into Jay's Snapchat, there was an unsent message from Jay to Brad. It was clear that this message was just 'floating', and then it reached Brad, which of course, alarmed him.’

Debbie also noted that there was 'a lot of activity' on Jay's phone that evening. For example, around 70 calls, and just before the last call, which lasted 22 seconds, Jay was talking to his friend Lucy, who called emergency services at 9:04 AM.

Lucy reported that Jay felt 'he could die', and he had only 1% battery charge left.

The documentary also shows how Jay celebrated at the Papagayo club with friends before being denied re-entry.

The question remains difficult as to why Jay decided to leave the apartment before falling into the canyon.

A pathologist found that Jay sustained 'significant traumatic brain injury', leading to 'immediate loss of consciousness and likely immediate death.'

Circumstances of the Tragedy

Jay flew to Tenerife in June to attend the NRG festival with two friends. The young man left the apartment in Masca at dawn on June 17.

• At 7:30 AM, Jay posted his last photo on Snapchat, smoking by the apartment entrance.
• At 8:00 AM, he left the apartment.
• Jay called Lucy, reporting that he had cut his leg, that he was lost, dehydrated, and had only 1% charge left on his phone.
• The last signal from his phone was recorded in the mountains when he went the wrong way.
• Jay's body was found on July 15 in a dangerous location where his phone last sent a signal.

‘The only thing I cannot rule out is that Jay could have been pushed from the top of the slope, however, I also cannot deny that he could have fallen himself.’

However, the investigation revealed that no third party was involved in his death.

Jay's family, including his father, brother, and uncle, retraces his last steps while in the Canaries.

Debbie received a mysterious message on WhatsApp that disappeared when they began searching for her son.

‘I’ll give you one piece of advice: your son is not coming back. He owes us money, goodbye.’

The coroner in the investigation determined that Jay's death was accidental and found no evidence of foul play.

The family keeps the clothes Jay wore on his last night in a box in the garage.

Jay's father noted that he would like him to be buried in those same clothes, but later changed his mind as those were his son's belongings.

Debbie has not yet unpacked the suitcase, and the documentary shows that inside his bag were his driver’s license, cologne, and lighters.

Other scenes show her meeting with a local MP regarding combating online trolls who spread falsehoods.

‘I will never understand why people on social media ruin the lives of others.’

Care of Jay Slater will be shown on Channel 4 at 21:00 on Sunday, September 28

The tragic story of Jay Slater continues to attract public attention. The upcoming documentary aims not only to shed light on the circumstances of his death but also to draw attention to the issue of misinformation online that harms families experiencing loss.

Furthermore, Jay’s tragedy raises important questions about youth safety during travel and responsibility for one's life, relevant for many tourists.