Jay Slater's mother reveals how she will use £48,000 crowdfunder to support TikTok sleuths in search for missing son
3 July 2024, 17:08 | Updated: 3 July 2024, 20:14
Jay Slater's mother has revealed that she will use the tens of thousands of pounds raised by well-wishers to support TikTok sleuths looking for her missing son.
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Debbie Duncan vowed to keep looking for apprentice bricklayer Jay, 19, who has been missing in Tenerife since June 17.
A GoFundMe push has raised over £48,500, and Ms Duncan said she would use the money to support herself and others as they keep looking for Jay.
She said in a fresh statement: "The Spanish police conducted a land search for 12 days which involved every resource they had available.
"Although the land search ended, the Spanish police still continue with their investigations into why Jay had travelled to the location so far away from his accommodation.
Read more: ‘Scared’ Jay Slater fled Airbnb after ‘stealing £12k Rolex’, private investigator claims
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"We offer our sincere thanks to the Spanish authorities, who continue to follow lines of inquiries.
"In the meantime, we will continue to use part of the funds to support the volunteers working hard in the mountains to find Jay.
"We are currently looking after Paul Arnett, putting together a package of any equipment and essentials he needs and going up to do a drop for him. We are also supporting Callum Fahim and his group with accommodation and other essentials.
"The remaining funds will continue to be used to support the rescue teams who are tirelessly searching for Jay as well as our own expenses as we remain in Tenerife looking for our boy.
"We will continue to keep you all updated on the progress on our GoFundMe page, and we thank you for your continued support. Please keep sharing and supporting our fundraiser to help us bring Jay home."
It comes after a private investigator claimed that a ‘scared’ Jay fled the Airbnb he stayed in with two men after admitting to stealing a £12,000 Rolex,.
Mark Williams-Thomas, who worked on the Madeleine McCann case, said Jay did not want to return to the Airbnb in Tenerife - despite his phone running low on battery.
Williams-Thomas claimed on his Twitter page that Jay posted a Snapchat saying he had taken the Rolex from an unidentified person.
Police are understood to be speaking to witnesses about an alleged Rolex theft at a beach club hours before the teenager’s disappearance.
A ‘brawl’ reportedly broke out at the Papagayo Beach Club in the early morning of June 17 after an Eastern European man allegedly had his watch taken.
Williams-Thomas added that he has not been able to verify whether what Jay said was true, but that friends have said “he would not make this up”.
“The watch was subject of later conversation between the friends,” he added.
