A huge search operation is currently underway in Tenerife after a 68-year-old man went missing on Monday, April 21. Jesús was last seen in La Matanza de Acentejo, but the search has now moved across to Masca in Buenavista del Norte after his vehicle was found there. An array of authorities have been finely combing the area, including units from the Guardia Civil, Civil Protection, and specialist search teams.
An alert for Jesús remains active within the missing persons’ organisation SOS Desaparecidos. The description of him says he is 1.8 metres tall (5 ft 9), of slim build, with grey hair and brown eyes. Since emergency services discovered his car, operations have concentrated in the Masca region, the same area where Jay Slater was seen when he disappeared.
Known for its dense vegetation and rocky terrain, the area is notorious for being difficult to locate missing people – when the 19-year-old went missing, he was found at the bottom of the valley after weeks of searching.
Authorities are urging anyone who may have seen Jesús or know any further information which could assist the search to contact 649 952 957 and 644 712 806.
Tenerife has seen an increase in missing persons cases, with Jay Slater being the 11th person on the Island to have gone missing within six months of his disappearance. The British holidaymaker got lost in the rocky ravines of Masca in June last year after attending the three-day NRG festival with friends.
At the time of his disappearance, a spokesperson described the terrain as “a steep, rocky area, full of unevenness and with a multitude of ravines, trails and paths” as they warned only members of the public with expertise in such conditions should join.
Locals have warned that cases of missing persons happen ‘often’ in the area. Official data from the Spanish Ministry of the Interior states that between 2020 and 2023, at least 460 adults went missing in the Canary Islands.
This means Tenerife has the second-highest number of missing people in the whole of Spain, following Andaulcia.