AN expert involved in the search for Jay Slater has described the perilous terrain where the teen had his fatal fall and said his mum is “crying, crying, crying”.
Esther van Neerbos, who leads volunteer group Signi Zoekhondon, flew to Tenerife hours before Jay’s body was found on Monday morning.
The volunteers have remained on the Spanish island and are set to return later this week.
They were seen on Thursday in a desolate ravine with a sniffer dog, Flex, walking in the blistering heat.
A source revealed to The Sun they returned on behalf of the family so they could fully understand the geography of where Jay’s body was found.
Esther, who’s a veterinarian, said dog Flex indicated a particular spot in the ravine which she described as “difficult and dangerous”.
The perilous ravine had extremely steep cliffs both sides, and goes from 20m to 100m wide in places.
Esther said Jay would not have been able to get to the sea from there, as has been claimed, because he would have run into huge cliffs that are near impossible to pass.
She added that she has urged the family not to lay flowers as the exact spot Jay was found as it is too dangerous.
Esther said: “Every case is sad, it’s particularly difficult for mothers, it is never nice to have to search for a young child.
“Losing your boy is the worst thing you can think about.
“I think the rescue workers that found him did a very good job.
“Jay was a very young guy, he did very well to get as far as he got.
“The place where he was found is a very dry, small valley, very difficult to get into.”
Esther, who is in close contact with Jay’s family, said they are “crying, crying, crying”.
Spain’s Guardia Civil yesterday repeated to The Sun that they would not be revealing the exact location where Jay’s body was found.
The deployment of a private search team suggests that Jay’s grieving family were not made aware of the precise spot where his remains were discovered.
Jay’s mum Debbie Duncan said yesterday: “The wonderful team Signi Zoekhondon have remained in Spain all week and have continued to support us since Jay was found.
“They are due to fly home in the coming days and we are so appreciative of their dedication and support.”
It comes as…
Jay’s family, who were seen yesterday for the first time since his remains were found, have blasted online trolls criticising them over the £60,000 raised for the repatriation of his body home.
Devastated mum Debbie Duncan has asked people to continue donating so she can give her son “the send-off he deserves”.
But online trolls have targeted the family, disbelieving that they need all that cash and more.
They have currently raised £62,500 at the time of publication.
Family spokesperson LBT Global have now slammed the trolls and said they were seeing “vast amounts of hateful content online”.
Boss Matt Searle said: “This hate comes from people who, I assume, have never had to repatriate a deceased loved one.
“Those costs can top £20k easily.
“These people probably haven’t had to arrange their own child’s funeral, nor felt the need to make it the biggest and best they can as it’s the last thing they’ll ever do for their child.”
Apprentice bricklayer Jay travelled to a remote Airbnb in Masca with two men in the early hours of June 17.
He had been partying all night in Playa de las Americas, close to an hour’s drive away.
In the morning, he attempted the 11 hour walk back to his own accommodation miles away.
Jay made a tragic final phone call to friend Lucy Law to say he was lost, needed water and only had one per cent phone battery.
It was the last time Jay, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancs, was heard from, and a mammoth search mission was launched.
Jay’s dad Warren and brother Zak spent weeks searching the unforgiving terrain for a breakthrough after the teenager vanished on June 17.
They retraced his steps in the blistering heat for days on their own after Spanish cops suspended their search.
But his body was finally discovered by a helicopter crew on Monday at the bottom of a ravine close to where his mobile phone last pinged.
The grim discovery of a body came after weeks of agony for Jay’s friends and family. Here is how events unfolded:
June 16: Jay and his friends party on the last day of the NRG music festival at Papagayo nightclub in Playa de la Americas, Tenerife.
June 17th:
June 18: Pals search the area but no sign of Jay. Local cops and mountain rescue teams start the official search. Jay’s mother Debbie Duncan flies to Tenerife.
June 19 – 20: Spanish police deploy drones, dogs and a helicopter, but find no trace. Search moves to Los Cristianos amid possible sighting, but it is ruled out and they return to Rural de Teno, near Masca.
June 21: Lancashire Police offer support but it is declined.
June 22: Mum Debbie issues an appeal to Jay saying: “We just need you home.”
June 24: Claims of Jay sighting in Santiago del Teide — near where he disappeared — and family believe a grainy CCTV image could be of him.
June 25: Debbie issues a plea for Jay to come home as more friends fly out and TV investigator Mark Williams-Thomas joins the search.
June 29: Cops rule Mr Qassim, and another man at Airbnb, out of investigation.
June 30: Spanish cops officially suspend hunt but say probe “remains open”. His family continue to search.
July 15: A body is found by a helicopter search team close to where his phone last pinged. His possessions are discovered next to human remains. Spanish cops say it points to an “accidental fall”.
July 17: Tenerife authorities confirm the body found in the mountainous area of the island is Jay’s.
