Jay Slater's distraught father has confessed his bafflement over his son's mysterious disappearance, admitting he 'can't understand' why Jay would veer off the beaten track into the treacherous valleys near the last known location of his mobile signal.
The heartbroken family have tirelessly combed through '80 per cent' of the Valley of Barranco de Juan Lopez, not far from the hamlet of Masca where Jay's phone was last active. Warren Slater, Jay's father, revealed that their search led to a terrifying cliff edge and is at a loss as to why his son would venture down such a perilous route.
Warren also expressed his bewilderment over the lack of sightings of Jay on what should be a busy tourist route, questioning how 'dozens' of cars could have missed him.
"It doesn't make sense, he's either hid himself, but why would he hide himself? Or he's just ....? ," Mr Slater remarked. "We've done the valley where his ping was, we've gone up the road to a vantage point, there's cliffs there and there's a valley and a village there."
He shared his inability to fathom why anyone would choose a path fraught with brambles and cacti over a clear trail, reports the Manchester Evening News.
![Undated family hand out photo of Jay Slater](https://i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk/news/uk-news/article33206944.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_jay-slater-missing.jpg)
"All I'm thinking is common sense, would you try and walk through there," he said. "Where we've been today you can see there's a hikers path with proper stones. We've gone straight down and you end up in the village."
"I'd go into the first building you see. An ideal spot for shelter is that little cave isn't it, get a bit of shade, you're hungover, get your head down in there. The police are convinced that's where his last ping were" he added, clinging to hope amidst the uncertainty.
Speaking about the route, he explained: "From the bnb, he's a fit lad, 25 minutes you can get to the top, to where the cafe is. If he's followed the road and been where we've been today, it's took him an hour and a half."
"Dozens of cars would have gone past him. We got here at 9am and the 10am bus passed us. And it would have passed him. I've been up here three weeks and I've never seen as many cars."
![Jay Slater’s dad Warren Slater searching in Tenerife](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article33205638.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/1_JS338902581JPG.jpg)
Mr Slater has also demanded more support from British authorities after Spanish cops called off their search last Sunday, stating that Jay is a 'British citizen' and he's keen to get 'Interpol involved'.
The family, along with some volunteers, are still combing Tenerife for Jay. This Monday saw Mr Slater and Jay's brother Zak in Santiago del Teide, hinting they're broadening their hunt.