Jay Slater’s friends begged him to get back to safety shortly before he vanished
Jay Slater death has been ruled an accident after falling from a ravine in the Tenerife mountains, an inquest concluded. Coroner Dr James Adeley dismissed theories about a ‘stolen’ Rolex watch and a Snapchat picture of Jay with knives at Preston Crown Court today. He ruled the teen’s death was nothing more than a tragic accident.
The 19-year-old Oswaldtwistle teenager, who went missing in Tenerife last summer, was begged by a friend to get back to safety before he vanished on the morning of June 17. Jay had flown to Tenerife to attend the NRG music festival with his friends Lucy Law and Bradley Hargreaves, where they met up with friend Brandon Hodgson.
After the event, on June 17, Jay travelled with two men, Ayub Qassim and Steven Roccas – known as ‘Rocky’ – who he’d met through Brandon in Tenerife, 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.
The apprentice bricklayer, was reported missing that morning and his disappearance sparked a huge search. After a month-long operation, Jay’s body was 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 had ventured off a mountain road down a dangerous ravine as he attempted the 14-hour walk back to where he was staying with Brad and Lucy. That fateful morning Jay told Mr Qassim he was going to catch a bus back to his apartment, the inquest heard.
Mr Qassim told him no buses would be along that route. However, Jay said he had spoken to the woman who had asked Mr Qassim to move his car, and she had said there was one in 10 minutes.
Later that morning, at around 8am, Jay’s smartwatch recorded him walking. At 8.10am/8.15am, Louisa Hernandez was driving and saw Jay walking along the right-hand side of the road. She said it appeared he was walking “in a brisk pace”.
At 8.21am Jay called Brandon Hodgson. Brandon said he could see that Jay was “in the mountains”. Jay then called Bradley Hargreaves and said he had left the Airbnb to come back and start drinking again.
Lucy Law was the last person to speak to Jay. The inquest heard how Brandon called Lucy that morning and told her Jay was up in the mountains, which she thought was a joke at first. Lucy realised it was serious and called Jay several times at around 8.50am in which she asked him if he knew where he was.
Jay said his mouth was dry and he needed a drink and was frightened. His phone was on 2% at this point. Jay’s body was found 29 days after he went missing by two members of the Spanish mountain rescue group in the Juan Lopez ravine.
Dr Adeley concluded the inquest, saying: “Jay Dean Slater died on June 17, 2024 in the Juan Lopez ravine in a remote area of Tenerife while attempting to descend the ravine Jay fell in a difficult area.
“Jay Slater fell approximately 20 to 25 metres resulting in skull fracture and brain trauma from which he would have died instantly. There was no third party involved. Jay Dean Slater died an accidental death.”
On Thursday, July 24 Preston Coroner’s Court hear evidence from Mr Qassim, Brad Hargreaves, Lucy Law and Lancashire Constabulary digital analyst Nick Spencer. However, two key witnesses still failed to show on the final day of the investigation.
The coroner concluded the hearing by offering his condolences to Jay’s family and said Jay’s death was a “tragic death of young man.”
A statement from Jay’s mum Debbie was read at the inquest this morning. In it she described her son as “the life and soul” and recalled how he was “counting down the days” until he went to Tenerife. She added “Jay loved to go to festivals and always making friends wherever he went.” He also “loved to dance.”
She finishes her statement saying: “He was very loved and our hearts are broken. Our lives will never be the same without Jay in it. Jay was a loving son, brother, grandson and loyal friend to everyone. He touched the hearts of the nation and that overwhelms us.”
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