The search for missing Cardiff City striker Emiliano Sala and the pilot of a small aircraft that disappeared from radar while taking the player from Nantes to Wales has resumed Wednesday.
Called off for the night, the search is being conducted under the slim hopes that Sala was picked up by a passing boat and yet to make contact or made it into the plane’s life raft but are yet to be spotted.
The pilot has been identified as Dave Ibbotson of North Lincolnshire.
[ MORE: Sala missing | Teammates react ]
Channel Islands Air Search chief officer John Fitzgerald (video) says it is “very unlikely to have an aircraft that’s in one piece,” noting that they found an orange cushion and a bent piece of metal in the water.
UPDATE: Fitzgerald is now describing the mission as “recovery, not rescue.”
Nantes supporters held a vigil (at bottom) for Sala on Tuesday evening.
Sky Sports reports that Nantes has again canceled training, while Cardiff will resume on Wednesday.
1/2
— Guernsey Police (@GuernseyPolice) January 23, 2019
9.30am
We are searching based on four possibilities:
1. They have landed elsewhere but not made contact.
2. They landed on water, have been picked up by a passing ship but not made contact
3. They landed on water and made it into the life raft we know was on board
2/2
— Guernsey Police (@GuernseyPolice) January 23, 2019
4. The aircraft broke up on contact with the water, leaving them in the sea.
Our search area is prioritised on the life raft option.
More updates as information becomes available
Tu es plus qu’un joueur, @EmilianoSala1.#PrayForSala pic.twitter.com/P5D9wtkoTK
— FC Nantes (@FCNantes) January 22, 2019
