[ad_1]
LONDON: A body found by British investigators in the submerged wreck of a fallen plane in the Channel has been identified as that of footballer Emiliano Sala, police announced Thursday (February 7th).
The Argentine striker 's body was first sighted by rescuers equipped with a remote – controlled vehicle (ROV) on Sunday, near where the plane had gone near the scene. British island of Guernsey.
He was found Wednesday and transferred Thursday to the island of Portland, southern England, aboard the sea supply vessel Geo Ocean III, for identification by the coroners, who investigate violent deaths in Britain.
"The body brought back to Portland Harbor today has been officially identified as that of professional footballer Emiliano Sala," police said in Dorset, the county where the body was taken, on Twitter.
"The families of Mr. Sala and pilot David Ibbotson have been updated and our thoughts are with them all," said the police.
#Update The body transported to Portland Harbor was officially identified by the Coroner for Dorset as that of professional footballer Emiliano Sala.
The families of Mr. Sala and pilot David Ibbotson have been updated. Our thoughts remain with all
https://t.co/YpVTvaEt7P
– Dorset Police (@dorsetpolice) February 7, 2019
The British Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB), which found the body, said that due to bad weather on the busy shipping lane, it was impossible to recover the plane and therefore resulted in the closure of the operation.
The light aircraft was carrying the 28-year-old footballer to his new Premier League team, Cardiff City, when he disappeared near Guernsey on Jan. 21, alongside 59-year-old Ibbotson. .
The disappearance of Sala caused a wave of sorrow in the world of football, including in his former club in Nantes, France, where the plane was flying.
After the suspension of search operations in the days that followed the disappearance of the aircraft, a wreck hunter recruited by the Sala family, with funds donated by football stars such as Lionel Messi, found the wreck on Sunday.
The AAIB then coordinated the recovery and the saved body was taken to Portland Harbor earlier on Thursday and was seen being stretched into a silver van.
EXPECTED ACCIDENT REPORT
"Under difficult conditions, the AAIB and its specialized subcontractors have managed to recover the body previously found amidst the ruins," AAIB said Wednesday.
"The operation was conducted in the most dignified way possible".
But he added, "The weather forecast is poor in the foreseeable future and the difficult decision has been made to end all operations."
He said that many video footage recorded by a remotely operated vehicle should "bring valuable evidence for our safety investigation", adding that he intended to issue an interim report on the accident more late this month.
PRIVATE RESEARCH
Sala had flown to join his new club, Cardiff City, in the most expensive signature of the Welsh club's history.
Nantes has consulted with lawyers to explore the legal options for Cardiff to pay Sala's transfer fees, a source close to the French club said on Wednesday.
READ: Football: Nantes charges a transfer fee from Sala to Cardiff
According to the source, the first installment of the agreement of 17 million euros (19.3 million US dollars) in favor of the Argentine striker has still not been paid, although that the transfer was finalized before the accident.
According to BBC Wales, Nantes would have imposed on Cardiff a 10-day ultimatum on the first installment of five to six million euros.
A source in Cardiff told the British media that the Welsh club would honor the contract but only after clarifying "all the facts". Cardiff would be "surprised" at the timing of the request shortly after the tragedy.
The aircraft, a Piper PA-46 Malibu, disappeared from the radar about 20 kilometers north of Guernsey, with the Ibbotson pilot being the only other person on board.
After the official rescue teams gave up their research, claiming that there was little chance of finding someone alive, the Sala family raised more than € 370,000 (US $ 422,000) during An online campaign to fund a private hunt.
"If that had not happened, I do not think anyone would have looked for the plane," said AFP David Mearns, a wreck hunter.
The discovery of two seat cushions on the French coast last week revealed that the plane had broken, Mearns added.
Earlier this week, the footballer's father, Horacio Sala, acknowledged that there was no chance of finding his son alive.
"There is more hope," he told Fox Sports.
[ad_2]
Source link
