The search for Cardiff City’s new soccer star, Emiliano Sala, resumed yesterday, 36 hours after the light aircraft that he was flying on disappeared in the English Channel.
Sala was flying from the French city of Nantes to Cardiff for his club debut when the airplane lost radar contact off the English Channel island of Guernsey late on Monday.
“We have resumed searching,” Guernsey police said. “Two planes are taking off and will search a targeted area we believe has the highest likelihood of finding anything, based on review of the tides and weather since it went missing.”
Photo: Reuters
Rescue aircraft and boats had searched more than 2,590km2 of sea for the single engine Piper Malibu by midday on Tuesday.
The 28-year-old Argentine-born forward last week joined struggling Cardiff City from Nantes for a club record fee of about 17 million euros (US$19.3 million), after scoring 12 goals for Nantes this season.
In a voice message left by Sala, published by Argentine newspaper Clarin, he said that it seemed as though the airplane was “about to crash.”
The airplane had been cruising at 1,525m when the pilot requested to descend to a lower altitude on passing Guernsey.
It lost radar contact at 700m, police said.
A number of floating objects were seen in the water on Tuesday, but it had not been determined whether they were from the missing aircraft, they said, adding that if the aircraft landed on water, the chances of survival were slim.
Fulham boss Claudio Ranieri described Sala as a “fighter” and said he was “devastated” to hear about the airplane’s disappearance.
“Emiliano is a wonderful character,” Fulham’s Web site quoted Ranieri as saying. “He’s a fantastic footballer who always gave his best when we worked together in France. Knowing him as a person — he’s a fighter.”
“Devastating news about Emiliano Sala. Wishing and praying for strength, courage and some good news for his family and friends,” AS Monaco coach Thierry Henry tweeted.
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