Jay's death an accident, says coroner

TEENAGER Jay Slater died by accident after falling up to 80ft down a ravine in Tenerife, a coroner concluded yesterday.

- By Chris Riches

The 19-year-old went missing on June 17 last year and a huge search was launched before his body was found in a remote area near the village of Masca on July 15.

Jay had told friends he was in the mountains and in need of a drink, as he attempted a 14-hour walk home the morning after a night out, Preston Coroner’s Court heard.

The teen, of Oswaldtwistle, Lancs, was holidaying on the Spanish island with friends for the NRG music festival. He had been at the Papagayo nightclub in Playa de las Americas.

But he vanished the next morning after reportedly going with two men to an Airbnb in Masca, in the mountains miles from his holiday apart ment in Los Cristianos.

A massive search operation was launched after he was reported missing. His body was found by a mountain rescue team almost a month later in the steep and inaccessible Juan Lopez ravine.