MISSING Jay Slater is thought to be lost in an area of Tenerife locals call “the badlands”, it emerged last night.
The five-day search for the 19-year-old has now homed in on a 2,000ft-deep ravine in a remote, desert-like park.
Helicopters have been seen soaring above, while firefighters, volunteers and police scour the perilous cactus-strewn terrain below.
Jonathan Stones, who moved to Tenerife more than two decades ago at 13, said the Teno Nature Reserve is one of the island’s most inhospitable spots.
He told The Sun: “Where Jay was last located through his mobile phone is where he stands the least chance of survival.
“The desolate landscapes around the island’s holiday hotspots are referred to as ‘malpais’ by locals — a word that translates into English as ‘bad land’.”
The former journalist, 50, warned the searing heat could be deceptive, with comfortable temperatures in the morning turning into roasting highs by 11am.
He added: “With no shade in sight, no water to hand and a deep ravine, the sun becomes an even more fierce adversary.
“And the shadowy respite offered by the hilltops is short-lived.
“The sun moves around the mountain sides quickly and anyone sheltering behind a craggy outcrop is soon flushed from their hide in search of the next one.
“I hope desperately that it’s a riddle solved in time for Jay to be reunited safely with his family.”
Jay’s last-known location was on a mountain road on the north west side of the island.
The apprentice bricklayer, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancs, had travelled to a rental property in the village of Masca with two pals he met at a party.
The owner of the Airbnb revealed Jay asked about a local bus before attempting the almost 11-hour trek back to his hotel.
