Cause of death of Jay Slater confirmed, body officially identified

A body found in Tenerife on Monday has now been identified as that of missing British teenager Jay Slater. Jay’s clothes and belongings were reportedly found with the body.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Supreme Court of the Canary Islands confirmed that the body was that of the 19-year-old after a fingerprint comparison. The court added that his death was “caused by trauma consistent with a fall in a rocky area.”

The court confirmed that the body was found near the village of Masca on Monday. Charity LBT Global had previously said the remains were found along with Jay’s clothes and belongings near his last known whereabouts.

Spain’s Guardia Civil said Mr Slater, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, may have fallen in the steep and inaccessible area where he was found. Following the discovery, Mr Slater’s girlfriend Lucy Law, the last known person to have spoken to him in a phone call on June 17, posted a tribute on her Instagram page.

She said: “I am truly at a loss for words. You were always the happiest, smileiest person in the room, you were one of a kind Jay and we will miss you more than you know.”

“I’m sure you have your dancing shoes polished and ready and waiting for all of us. We all love you, buddy. Fly high.”

Before his disappearance, Mr Slater had attended the NRG music festival with two friends and his last known whereabouts was the Rural de Teno Park in the north of the Canary Island, about 11 hours’ walk from his accommodation.

He had travelled to an Airbnb in Masca after a night of drinking, but the two men who were said to have rented the property were later deemed “not relevant” to the case. Spanish police called off the search for the bricklayer’s apprentice at the end of June after using helicopters, drones and search dogs to find him.