The search for Emiliano Sala continues, but police officers in charge have shared their worries over the possibility of finding the player and pilot Dave Ibbotson alive.
A spokesmen for Guernsey's police department shared details on the steps that were taken to find the ill-fated flight, which was supposed to land in Cardiff in the final hours of January 21. According to the spokesman, several aircrafts were used to try and find the footballer and the pilot, although there's been no reward in their efforts so far.
"Multiple aircrafts have been involved in the search operation over five hours on Wednesday but no trace of the missing light aircraft had been found. A decision whether to continue will be taken later today," the spokesman said.
According to chief officer for the Channel Islands Air Search John Fitzgerald, hopes of finding Sala or the pilot alive are slim.
"I think very much it is that sort of recovery stage now. It's trying to find parts of the aircraft, whatever is floating on the surface,"Fitzgerald said earlier today.
Guernsey police is still searching for the footballer and the pilot after coming up with four theories. One of them suggests that the plane hit the water, with Sala and the pilot making it onto a life raft known to be on board. Another theory suggests that the plane landed elsewhere, with Sala and the pilot not being able to contact anyone at the moment.
Another theory suggests that Sala and the pilot landed on water but were picked up by a passing ship. The final theory indicates that the plane broke up on contact with the water, leaving Sala and the pilot in the sea.
The "life raft option" is being the focus of all efforts to find Sala at the moment, according to officers involved with the case.
Cardiff City exec reveals details of the chartered plane
Speaking to Sky Sports, Cardiff City's chairman Mehmet Dalman ruled out any involvement from the team in chartering the ill-fated flight and went on to share details on how they planned to have Sala fly into Cardiff.
"We spoke to the player and asked him if he wanted us to make arrangements for his flight, which would have been commercial. He declined and made his own arrangements. I can't tell you who arranged the flight because I don't know at this stage, but it certainly wasn't Cardiff City," Dalman stated.
Even if the club is currently living distressful moments, Dalman admitted that their next game against Arsenal may not be postponed due to this incident.
"I would be surprised if there was a change to the schedule," Dalman concluded.
Emiliano Sala had just signed a record-breaking deal for Cardiff City, as the Bluebirds paid Nantes over $19M for his services. The striker had played the last three and a half seasons with the yellow and green side, scoring 48 goals in 133 games for Les Canaris.
