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Tag: Emiliano Sala

  • Emiliano Sala: Body identified after recovery on Wednesday

    Emiliano Sala: Body identified after recovery on Wednesday

    Dorset Police have confirmed that the body recovered from the wreckage of a crashed plane is that of Cardiff City player Emiliano Sala.

    The Argentine, 28, was travelling to Cardiff in a plane piloted by David Ibbotson, which went missing over the English Channel on 21 January.

    The body was recovered late on Wednesday after the wreckage was found on Sunday morning.

    Dorset Police confirmed the identification on Thursday night.

    In a statement, the force said: “The body brought to Portland Port today, Thursday 7 February 2019, has been formally identified by HM Coroner for Dorset as that of professional footballer Emiliano Sala.

    “The families of Mr Sala and the pilot David Ibbotson have been updated with this news and will continue to be supported by specially-trained family liaison officers.”

    The body was spotted in the wreckage of the plane on Monday and the authorities were able to recover it two days later, despite “challenging conditions”.

    The Air Accidents Investigations Branch (AAIB) said the operation had been carried out “as dignified a way as possible” and the men’s families were kept updated throughout.

    Emiliano Sala (left) was on board a plane being flown by pilot David Ibbotson

    The Geo Ocean III, which was involved in finding the wreckage, took the body back to the nearest port of Portland in Dorset, where the body was formally identified.

    The Piper Malibu N264DB was en route from France to Cardiff, after the Argentine striker made a quick trip back to his former club Nantes two days after his £15m transfer to Cardiff was announced.

    Cardiff City, issued a statement shortly after identification was confirmed, saying: “We offer our most heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the family of Emiliano. He and David will forever remain in our thoughts.”

    Some of the club’s players reacted via Twitter. Full back Joe Bennett wrote “RIP Emiliano”, while centre-half Sol Bamba posted a black-and-white image of the team-mate he never got to play alongside.

    Stars from the wider footballing world also paid tribute.

    Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger wrote: “Heartbreaking to hear the news about Emiliano Sala. Rest in peace! Thoughts go out to the family and friends of Emiliano and the pilot.”

    And Arsenal’s Mehmet Ozil tweeted: “No words to describe how sad this is. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family and also to the family of the pilot.”

    Mr Ibbotson, 59, from Crowle, North Lincolnshire, was at the controls when the flight lost contact with air traffic controllers on 21 January.

    He is yet to be found.

    An official search was called off on 24 January after Guernsey’s harbour master said the chances of survival were “extremely remote”.

    But an online appeal started by Sala’s agent raised £324,000 (371,000 euros) for a private search led by marine scientist and oceanographer David Mearns.

    Working jointly with the AAIB, his ship and the Geo Ocean III, began combing a four square mile area of the English Channel, 24 nautical miles north of Guernsey, to make best use of the available sensors.

    Mr Mearns said the plane was identified by sonar, 67m (220ft) below the surface, before a submersible with cameras was sent underwater to confirm this.

    Cardiff fans left a sea of flowers outside the Cardiff City Stadium in tribute to Emiliano Sala

    During the recovery operation, the AAIB used a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) to aid the search, with no divers involved.

    The body was moved first, and separately from the wreckage, to maximise the chances of it being successfully brought to the surface.

    It said efforts to recover the crashed plane as a whole proved unsuccessful, before being abandoned due to poor weather.

    “The weather forecast is poor for the foreseeable future and so the difficult decision was taken to bring the overall operation to a close,” the AAIB said in a statement.

    However, the AAIB said video footage captured by the ROV would provide “valuable evidence” for its safety investigation.

    Meanwhile, it has emerged that Sala’s former club, French Ligue 1 side Nantes, has demanded Cardiff City pay his £15m transfer fee.

    Sala was Cardiff’s record signing but never played for the club.

    The fee was due to be paid over three years but Cardiff have withheld the first scheduled payment until they are satisfied with the documentation.

  • Emiliano Sala’s father ‘desperate’ as missing plane found

    Emiliano Sala’s father ‘desperate’ as missing plane found

    The plane which disappeared with Cardiff City footballer Emiliano Sala and pilot David Ibbotson on board has been found in the English Channel, confirmed search director David Mearns.

    A search boat located the wreckage on the seabed of the English Channel at 9am on Sunday, following a search led by David Mearns, a marine explorer who has been working alongside the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).

    Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Mearns said: “We located the wreckage of the plane on the seabed at a depth of about 63m within the first couple of hours [of searching].”

    He said the plane was identified by sonar, before a submersible with cameras was sent underwater and was able to confirm it was the plane.

    “They saw the registration number and the biggest surprise is that most of the plane is there,” he added.

    He was asked if the bodies of Sala and Ibbotson were onboard, Mearns said: “That’s a possibility and they’ll be planning for that. There’s a number of things the AAIB have to consider, but their main role is to conduct their investigation on what caused this crash.”

    Mr Mearns said in tweet: “The families of Emiliano Sala and David Ibbotson have been notified by police.”

    Emiliano Sala’s father has spoken of his anguish and disbelief after wreckage of the plane carrying his missing son was discovered in the English Channel.

    Speaking at his home in Argentina, Horacio Sala said he was “desperate” after a privately-funded search operation found the aircraft in waters north of Guernsey on Sunday.

    “I cannot believe it. This is a dream. A bad dream. I am desperate,” Horacio Sala told the local broadcaster Crónica TV.

    Based on the search operation, we will bring you more if any new update

  • Cardiff City FC Player Emiliano Sala on missing Plane

    Cardiff City FC Player Emiliano Sala on missing Plane

    Argentine professional soccer player Emiliano Sala, who just signed with Cardiff City from Nantes last week for a club-record fee, has gone missing after the plane he was on disappeared over the English Channel on Monday night.

    According to the BBC, Guernsey Police said there was “no trace” of the Cardiff-bound flight. 

    Sala’s father, Horacio, told Argentine TV channel C5N, he heard the news from a friend.

    “I didn’t know anything. I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “I’m desperate. I hope everything goes well.”

    As BBC reports, the plane left Nantes France at 7:15 p.m. local time and was flying at 5,000 feet when it contracted air traffic control requesting descent. The plane then lost contact while at 2,300 feet and disappeared off the radar.

    Police said on Tuesday more than 1,150sq miles had been searched by five aircraft and two lifeboats. The search had resumed after being called off overnight “due to strengthening winds, worsening sea conditions and reducing visibility”.

    Ken Choo, chief executive of the Bluebirds, said: “We were very shocked upon hearing the news that the plane had gone missing. “We expected Emiliano to arrive last night into Cardiff and today was due to be his first day with the team. Our owner, Tan Sri Vincent Tan, and chairman, Mehmet Dalman, are all very distressed about the situation.”

    FC Nantes supporters gather in Nantes after it was announced that Emiliano Sala was missing. They are praying and hoping that Sala be found.

    Flowers and candles have been placed in Nantes’ main square as search for Emiliano Sala continues.