The mother of British teenager Jay Slater, who went missing during a holiday in Tenerife, says she is “not losing hope” they will return home together.
Debbie Duncan previously said she had “not slept” since the 19-year-old disappeared last week.
She revealed on Thursday that some of the £36,000 donated via a fundraiser would be withdrawn to support the mountain rescue teams and family travel expenses.
It comes as Spanish police searching for Jay were on Thursday exploring caves close to a ravine in a fresh area of the remote national park where his phone last pinged.
In an update on the GoFundMe page, Mrs Duncan wrote: “First, I would like to thank everyone for your support, kind messages, and good wishes.
“It’s difficult to wrap our heads around what is happening right now, but we are not losing hope that we will find Jay and return home together.
“We are currently working with GoFundMe to withdraw part of the funds, which are being safely held.
“I wanted to share that these funds will be used to support the mountain rescue teams who are tirelessly searching for Jay.
“Additionally, since our stay in Tenerife needs to be extended, we will also use the funds to cover accommodation and food expenses.
“I'm surrounded by wonderful people who are by my side, but far from their loved ones, so we'll also be using part of these funds to fly them to Tenerife so we can support each other during these dark times.
“Thank you again for all your donations and support, this means the world to us.”
Apprentice bricklayer Jay, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, had attended the NRG music festival on the island with two friends before his disappearance and was last heard from on Monday last week.
He vanished following an attempt to walk back to his accommodation after missing a bus.
The walk from Jay’s last known location, Rural de Teno Park in the north of the island, to his accommodation would have taken about 11 hours on foot.
Search teams, co-ordinated by the Spanish police, the Guardia Civil, have since mounted a huge manhunt using helicopters, drones and search dogs to scour mountainous areas of the island, but are yet to find the teenager.
The GoFundMe created by Lucy Law to “get Jay Slater home” had received £36,000 in donations by Thursday morning.
A GoFundMe spokesperson said: “We are in touch with Jay Slater’s mother, Debbie, and working with her to keep everyone updated on how their donations will be used in the search.
“For now, the money is with GoFundMe as we work through the next steps.”
Ms Law said Jay told her in a frantic phone call last Monday at 8.30am that he was “lost in the mountains, he wasn’t aware of his surroundings, he desperately needed a drink and his phone was on 1%”.
Jay was last seen wearing a white T-shirt with shorts and trainers and carrying a black bag.
