Jay Slater's Mother Revisits Tenerife Site in Documentary to Understand Son's Final Moments

Jay Slater's mother has returned to Tenerife for a documentary exploring the circumstances of her 19-year-old son's death. Slater disappeared in 2024 in the northern part of the island after attending a music festival and was found 29 days later.

An inquest determined that Slater died from a fall, sustaining traumatic head injuries, and ruled the death accidental with no evidence of third-party involvement. During the search, his family was inundated with theories and speculation from online commentators, particularly on TikTok.

In a new Channel 5 documentary, "Cause of Death," Debbie Duncan aims to understand if her son suffered during his final hours. Slater had called friends shortly before his death, stating he was lost and without water.

Accompanied by her brother Glen, Ms. Duncan visited Tenerife's Rural de Teno national park, retracing her son's last known movements. The filming occurred after Ms. Duncan received the delayed Spanish post-mortem report, which confirmed Slater died after falling into an 82-foot-deep ravine.

She discussed the findings with pathologist Dr. Richard Shepherd, who conducted the Home Office examination of Slater's body. Dr. Shepherd informed Ms. Duncan that the head injury was likely fatal immediately, meaning her son would not have experienced prolonged pain or suffering. "It was the end — there was no pain and suffering," Dr. Shepherd stated, emphasizing that Slater was not injured and dying slowly on the hillside.

Dr. Shepherd noted that the "hurtful speculation" surrounding Slater's death intensified the family's search for definitive answers. Online rumors suggested murder or torture, despite a lack of evidence supporting these claims. The slow exchange of information between Spanish and British authorities, Dr. Shepherd suggested, created an information vacuum exploited by online commentators.

Ms. Duncan and her brother traveled to Masca, the village from which Slater had departed his Airbnb after a music festival. Approximately 30 minutes after leaving, he spoke to his friend Lucy Law, describing himself as thirsty and frightened. Twenty minutes later, at 8:50 a.m., he called Ms. Law again, reporting he was in the "middle of nowhere" with only mountains visible before his phone battery died.

Reflecting on the events, Ms. Duncan expressed a sense of guilt for not calling her son when she saw his Snapchat that morning, but acknowledged the impossibility of predicting the outcome. Her visit to Masca offered her a better understanding of her son's potential helplessness amidst the terrain, providing a sense of closure.

"Seeing all that now, I understand it better. That's what closure has given me," Ms. Duncan said. She also conveyed that she believed her son would be sorry for the mistakes he made and their consequences.

"Cause of Death" is scheduled to air on Channel 5 on Wednesday at 9 p.m.