Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Sala’s body found
Police confirm Cardiff star was man in crashed plane
THE body recovered from a plane wreckage in the sea has been identified as Cardiff City striker Emiliano Sala, police said last night.
He and pilot David Ibbotson were the only two on board the Piper Malibu aircraft which crashed in the Channel north of Guernsey on a flight between Nantes in France and South Wales on January 21.
The plane was found on the seabed with one body still inside by a private underwater search team last Sunday.
Sala was taken to Portland in Dorset. A police spokesman said: “The body 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 w continue to be supported by specially trained family liaiso liaison officers.
“Our thou thoughts remain with them at thi this difficult time. “HM Coroner Cor will continue to investigate inves the circumstanc cumstances of this death supported by Dorset Police.” A search and rescue o operation was unsuccessful in locating the plane and the two occupants after it lost contact with air traffic control and called off on January 24. Guernsey’s harbour master had said the chances of survival were “extremely remote”.
But an online appeal started by Sala’s agent raised £324,000 for a private search led by marine scientist and oceanographer David Mearns.
Working jointly with air accident investigators, his ship and the Geo Ocean III began combing a four-squaremile area of the Channel, 24 nautical miles north of Guernsey, to make best use of the available sensors.
The police spokesman added: “Subsequently AAIB and privately funded search teams were deployed to the relevant area.
“Using specialist equipment the teams succeeded in locating and identifying the plane and recovering Mr Sala’s body.”
The Malibu N264DB was en route from France, after Argentine striker Sala made a quick trip back to his former club Nantes.
That was two days after his £15million transfer to Cardiff was announced. Mr Ibbotson, 59, from Crowle, Lincs, was at the controls. He is yet to be found.