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AN INQUEST IS BEING HEARD INTO THE DEATH OF JAY SLATER, 19, WHO WAS FOUND DEAD IN THE JUAN LOPEZ RAVINE IN TENERIFE ON JULY 15 LAST YEAR FOLLOWING A FOUR-WEEK SEARCH LIAM BUCKLER Senior News

Reporter, STEPHEN TOPPING and AMY FENTON 13:30, 21 May 2025Updated 14:08, 21 May 2025 The inquest into the death of Jay Slater was abruptly halted after contact was finally made with a key

witness. The hearing at Preston Coroner's Court is investigating the circumstances surrounding the 19-year-old bricklayer'S death in Tenerife on July 15 last year, following a

month-long search for him. After attending the NRG music festival in Playa de las Americas, Jay had travelled north to an Airbnb in the remote village of Masca in the early hours of June 17.

He then left the property on foot and subsequently went missing in the Rural Parc de Teno. This morning, the inquest heard that three crucial witnesses could not be located before

today's proceedings. Alice Swarbrick, a coroner's officer, stated that police had tried to serve a witness summons on Lucy Law, a friend who was with Jay in Tenerife, but she

couldn't be found. READ MORE: Jay Slater UPDATES: Inquest names Tenerife friends who now 'can't be found' It is believed that Lucy is currently in Tenerife. Brad

Hargreaves, another friend who was with Jay in Tenerife last June, is thought to be on a holiday booked last October, added Ms Swarbrick. Neither could be found by police prior to

today's hearing, according to senior coroner Dr James Adeley, reports the Manchester Evening News. Article continues below A third key witness - Ayub Qassim, who rented out the Airbnb

in Masca where Jay stayed after the festival - is listed to appear. Despite efforts by the Metropolitan Police to find him, officers were unsuccessful, the inquest heard. However, just after

noon, the coroner paused the proceedings briefly as it was reported that one of the three absent witnesses had been contacted. Lucy and Brad previously spoke of how they chatted with Jay as

he attempted to walk back to their accommodation from the remote Airbnb, a journey that would have taken him 11 hours on foot. Tragically, he never made it. At 8:15 a.m., Lucy received a

phone call from Jay, who told her he was in "the middle of nowhere" and dehydrated, with just one per cent of his phone battery remaining. After missing his bus, the apprentice

bricklayer explained to Lucy that he was attempting to make his way back using a Maps app. It was then that the call cut out suddenly, with his battery depleting completely at 8:50 a.m. Lucy

told the Manchester Evening News: "He's gone on a night out, he's gone to a friend's house, someone that he has met on holiday. One of the people he has met has hired a

car out of here, so he's driven them back to his apartment, and Jay has gone there, not realising how far away it is. Article continues below "In the morning, he's set off

walking, using his Maps on his phone and ended up in the middle of mountains with nothing around." Lucy later told Sky News that Jay had 'cut his leg on a cactus' as he

attempted to walk along a remote path. Appearing on This Morning on June 28, just two days before Spanish police called off the official search, Brad opened up about his own final

conversation with Jay, who'd promised to video call him back after hanging up, as "someone else was ringing him". Showing emotion as he recalled Jay's "zest for

life", Brad shared that Jay hadn't initially been worried about finding his way back to his friends. He revealed that he could hear Jay's feet sliding on the rocks indicating

that he had "went off the road". He explained: "That's how I knew he went off the road because, you know when you walk on gravel, or whatever it is, you can... you know

what I mean, stones."