BRITISH mountaineers claim they were rescued while searching for Jay Slater in Tenerife who insisted he did not need rescuing.
David Larkin, 51, was picked up by a search team searching a deserted park near where the teenager was last seen.
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Hiker David Larkin insisted he should not have been rescued
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Jay Slater, 19, has been missing for a week Credit: Pixel8000
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Rescuers searched for Jay for over a weekCredit: PA
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Emergency workers search the mountainous terrainCredit: PA
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Local police officers boasted of rescuing a “tired and disoriented” David from mountainous terrain on Friday as they searched for Jay.
But David – who calls himself an “experienced” hiker – denied their side of the story and said he knew what he was doing.
David, who lives in Scotland, told The Mail: “I can tell you now; I wasn’t tired and I wasn’t disoriented, and I didn’t need rescuing.
“I think a lot was lost in translation when they saw it and I explained to them that I had water, I was wearing layers, I had a backpack with food and I was an experienced hiker.
“I think they want to show how good they are, but I certainly didn’t need saving.
“I feel so sorry for the boy’s family and I hope he is found soon.”
David, originally from Northern Ireland, said he felt “embarrassed” because he knew the tracks well and didn’t need help.
He arrived on the island earlier this month and has been staying in a remote one-bedroom cabin on the edge of a cliff.
David added: “I went into the canyon and I saw the helicopters searching and I thought they were looking for a boy, but I never thought for a minute that they would end up picking me up.
“I don’t want to sound ungrateful and I thanked them for their care, but I was fine.”
Missing Jay Slater spotted staggering back to his feet in front of worried clubgoers in shock new video at Tenerife rave
Officers claimed David had gone to a “difficult” area that was not “suitable for travel” on Friday.
After he failed to return to his starting point after several hours, locals alerted teams who were already searching the area for Jay.
Police claimed: “Tired and disoriented, he was found by agents and a rescue team who helped him out of the precipice.”
Drones, sniffer dogs and helicopters have been searching the Rural de Teno National Park and its surroundings in northern Tenerife since Jay went missing more than a week ago.
Much of the search focused on the unforgiving 2,000-foot Masca Gorge “badlands.”
It comes as…
That’s where his phone last pinged a nearby cell tower at 8.50am on June 17.
Apprentice bricklayer Jay, from Lancashire, headed to Masca with two Brits at the end of a three-day rave he flew to Tenerife to attend.
Jay stayed at their Airbnb rental for a few hours before trying to get back to his vacation rental.
He made one last frantic call to friend Lucy Law last Monday morning.
Jay told his friend that he was lost in the middle of nowhere with no water and only had one percent of battery on his phone.
It comes as today – nine days into the search for Jay – Tenerife police have been called in to reinforce with specialist sniffer dog teams.
Units of sniffer dogs specially trained to comb large areas arrive from Madrid, some 1,300 miles away.
Officers have already used dogs to comb a “huge” search area around the barren area where Jay was last seen.
But search officers say the new dogs are much better trained to deal with the vast landscape
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Google Earth shows the steep, rugged terrain around Masca Gorge near where Jay disappeared
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Jay Slater’s family have shared a grainy CCTV image they believe could be him
The police officers also released a new video of today’s search operation in which the brought dogs worked on the mountain terrain.
Meanwhile, The Sun revealed today that British officers have still not questioned the two mystery friends Jay went home with before he disappeared last week.
The passengers were questioned by local police officers in a small cabin before traveling back to Luton Airport.
Both are said to hail from Luton, Bedfordshire. One is nicknamed ‘Johnny Vegas’.
Police officers in the UK have revealed they have no intention of speaking to the men, despite growing concerns about Jay.
Lancashire Police, whose offer of help was turned down by local officers, said they would not pursue tourists.
Bedfordshire Police, which look after Luton Airport, will not speak to the men, apart from the London Met.
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Missing persons posters have been put up in TenerifeCredit: Ian Whittaker
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Jay (right) pictured with his mum Debbie and brother Zak Credit: Tim Stewart
Timeline of Jay Slater’s disappearance
Ellie Doughty, foreign news reporter
SUNDAY, JUNE 16 – MONDAY, JUNE 17
Jay is going to rave at the 2024 NRG music festival in Tenerife, around Arona in the south of the island
20.35 – Jay posts a smiling Snapchat video of himself laughing with friends
He leaves the rave with two men he met that day and is taken back to their accommodation on the other side of the island
MONDAY 17
7.30am – Jay posts a Snapchat of his hand holding a cigarette in the area where he was staying – near Rural Park de Teno in the north of the island
8.30am – Jay calls his friend Lucy Law and tells her he’s missed the bus, has 1% battery left on his phone and is stuck in the “middle of nowhere”.
9am – A missing persons report is filed and the search for Jay begins
TUESDAY 18
2am – The police knock on the door of Jay’s mum Debbie Duncan’s home and tell her to catch the first flight to Tenerife
7am – She flies from Manchester Airport along with her son Zak to help with the search
Debbie was sent a Snapchat message that read: “Kiss your boy goodbye, you’ll never see him again, he owes me a lot of money.”
WEDNESDAY 19
12:30 – After a false sighting, the police briefly move the search to the south of the island
Cops search his hotel room for clues as his mum says ‘there was nothing wrong’
Debbie gives heart-wrenching interview in which she talks about fears he was “kidnapped” and says “I just want my baby back”
THURSDAY 20
Officers begin the fourth day of a massive manhunt for Jay
FRIDAY 21
Lancashire police are offering to help in the search, but Tenerife authorities say they are “pleased to have the resources they need”.
The search moves to the 22,000-foot gorge in Masca – part of the area locals call “the wasteland”.
SATURDAY 22
The sixth day of the search begins as sniffer dogs, police officers, mountain rescue services and firefighters once again take to the hills of northern Tenerife
A possible new sighting of Jay placed him near a church with two men at 6pm on Monday – although police have not confirmed
Jay’s dad Warren and brother Zak visit the search site in Tenerife
SUNDAY 23
Officers are focusing their search on small outbuildings in Parc de Teno near where Jay’s phone last pinged
Jay’s mum Debbie says trolls are comparing her to Karen Matthews
A GoFundMe set up by Jay’s friend Lucy has surpassed £30,000 after just three days
Exclusive Sun footage shows Jay falling and stumbling back to the rave before disappearing
MONDAY 24
The search for Jay enters its eighth day
Police are expanding the search area north to parts of Buenavista del Norte
Jay’s dad says his family is in ‘living hell’
TUESDAY 25
Jay’s machete victim supports search for missing teenager
Police in Tenerife are calling in reinforcements from Madrid, including specialist sniffer dogs
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education