Mountaineering Mayor Joins Desperate Search for Missing Teen Jay Slater
The family of missing 19-year-old Jay Slater has turned to an unexpected hero in their desperate search: experienced mountain climber and Essex mayor, Shane Yerrell. The Mirror can reveal that Shane, who is also the mayor of Waltham Abbey, has been actively involved in the search efforts in Tenerife, where Jay was last seen.
Over the weekend, Shane spent two days scouring the area alongside Jay’s devastated father Warren, 58, older brother Zak, 24, and other family members and friends. Shane, 40, has climbed notable peaks like Kilimanjaro and Mount Olympus and is now planning another trip to the island to continue his assistance.
“They’re just living on hope. It’s awful—they’ve got no answers. They don’t know whether Jay is alive or dead,” Shane remarked about the family’s harrowing situation. When asked if Jay’s parents are still clinging to hope, he said, “Of course. I would be exactly the same. Until you know for sure…”
Shane, who has raised nearly £200,000 to help people in need since 2011, flew more than 2,000 miles from Essex to Tenerife after contacting Jay’s family and offering his support. He shared his experience with the family, saying, “I’ve climbed a couple of mountains. I’m no mountain expert by any means, but I’ve climbed Kilimanjaro and Mount Olympus, so I’ve done it and I’d like to come and help. We spent the whole day Saturday scaling the mountain and then the same thing again on Monday on a different route.”
The Slater family has been relentless in their search, dedicating entire days from 9:30 am until 6:00 pm to cover as much ground as possible. Shane explained, “They are doing everything to find him. They’re not just out for an hour; they’re out all day. We covered miles, but there’s still a lot of ground to cover.”
Shane also highlighted the physical and emotional toll the search is taking on Jay’s family. “I feel for all of them, his dad in particular. I’m a parent, and my child is only a few years younger than Jay. The whole thing is heartbreaking, not having any answers. They just don’t know.”
Describing the harsh conditions they face, Shane noted, “It’s really not easy. I struggled on the mountain, and so did his family, but it didn’t bother them because their priority is powering through to find Jay. The altitude and the heat make it really difficult, and the mountain is massive. You go over one edge and then there’s another bit. It’s unbelievable out there. It would take weeks or months to cover.”
Shane expressed frustration at the social media trolls who have criticized the Slater family. “People should put themselves in their shoes before they criticize them and come up with all these ludicrous fabrications. I could see the toll it’s taking on Jay’s dad mentally. It’s horrible. They need to give the family a break. They are good people, nice decent human beings, and they are desperate to find Jay.”
He urged people to be considerate, saying, “Please think before you write or say something and focus on something positive or don’t say or write anything at all. The family reads these comments, and it’s really not nice. Imagine the heartache they’re going through not knowing if Jay is alive or not and then you read people slaughtering you online.”