TikTok influencer Paul Arnott said he may set up his own fundraising page to help continue the search for Jay Slater, the 19-year-old who went missing in Tenerife on June 17.
Paul Arnott is an amateur climber (Daily Mirror)
by
Tim Hanlon 2 July 2024 18:12 Updated 2 July 2024 18:57
A TikTok influencer and amateur climber searching for missing boy Jay Slater says he may be setting up his own crowdfunding page.
Paul Arnott, who is supported by Jay’s grieving mother Debbie and is in regular contact with the family, says he plans to keep searching despite Spanish police announcing they were calling off the search on Sunday. “I’ll be here until we find Jay. I’m going to try everything I can, for sure,” Mr Arnott, 29, said on his TikTok channel.
“Thanks to the interview, I’ve learned a lot of new things from this. There are a lot of things I’ll be following today. One is the three-word GPS. Another is a pair of sunglasses found by a guy called Chris. I’m meeting with him today.”
Missing Jay Slater (right) with his mother Debbie and brother Zach (SOLARPIX.COM)
And Paul is now reportedly considering launching his own appeal to raise funds for Scottish mountain rescue teams to be deployed to Tenerife to help with the search in the dangerous terrain.
Paul is in Tenerife to boost his social media profile and has come under criticism from some who claim his TikTok videos have clickbait titles to draw viewers in. Many of his videos talk about his own problems, such as losing the keys to his hotel and trying to find his SIM card.
Paul said he’s “convinced” Jay is somewhere on the mountainside and has spoken to his family. “They’re such amazing, lovely people and they just want to find Jay and I want to help them,” he told the Daily Mail. “They keep offering to pay for his food and accommodation but I keep refusing.
Jay Slater: Parents of missing boy leave Tenerife police station
“I don’t want anything and I don’t want anything from the GoFundMe site. What I want to do is fundraise myself to cover the costs of getting a Scottish Mountain Rescue team here.” A GoFundMe page set up by Jay’s friend Lucy Law for his family has raised more than $47,000 so far.
Jay’s mother, Debbie Duncan, has been on the island during the search and said funds raised online would go towards supporting mountain rescue teams, as well as covering her own accommodation and food costs.
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