LONDON • The search for missing Cardiff City player Emiliano Sala should no longer be considered a rescue operation, said the chief officer of Channel Islands Air Search last night.
"It's getting to that stage now," he said in a telephone interview. "There's a lot of people still on the hunt," said John Fitzgerald, adding that hopes of finding survivors are "very much plucking at straws".
A joint French and British search effort resumed yesterday with airplanes, helicopters and ships.
Sala, who signed for Cardiff on Saturday from French Ligue 1 club Nantes for a club-record fee of £15 million (S$26.4 million), was flying to the Welsh capital on a single-engine Piper PA-46 Malibu aircraft when air traffic controllers lost contact with it off the English Channel island of Guernsey.
Floating objects have since been found in the Channel and, at press time, the operation was ongoing.
The Argentinian Sala reportedly sent a voicemail message to his father saying he was frightened the plane was about to break up.
In a transcript of the call, quoted by the Mirror, he said: "I'm here on a plane that looks like it's about to fall apart, and I'm going to Cardiff…
"If in an hour and a half you have no news from me, I don't know if they are going to send someone to look for me because they cannot find me. But you know… Dad, how scared am I!"
He sent a similar audio message in Spanish to a group of friends on WhatsApp, said Diego Rolan, a Uruguayan footballer who told a radio station in his home country that he was among the recipients of the message.
The man speaking sounded calm, asking his friends how they are doing, looking forward to joining his new team, complaining of being tired, and even yawning. But he also returned several times to his concern about the flight.
Hundreds of fans, many in tears, also gathered in Nantes' city centre on Tuesday evening for an emotional tribute to the missing player, laying bouquets of yellow flowers while chanting Sala's name.
His former club said in a statement the tribute was a spontaneous initiative by fans before thanking "supporters and the entire football family for the numerous expressions of support".
Amid the outpouring of grief, many have wondered why Sala was travelling in a propeller plane, but Cardiff told news website Wales Online they had offered their new striker a commercial flight.
"We spoke to the player and asked him if he wanted us to make arrangements for his flight to have been commercial," club chairman Mehmet Dalman said.
"He declined. I can't tell you who arranged the flight because I don't know at this stage, but it wasn't Cardiff."
Dalman added Bluebirds manager Neil Warnock was in a "state of shock".
He said: "Neil is human and he's affected as much as we all are. At the moment, there's a vacuum of information , it's very unsettling.
"We're still praying, we still have prayers. Cardiff will be involved with the investigation. We won't leave a single stone unturned until we have all the facts."
According to the BBC, Cardiff have no plans to rearrange their next match, a Premier League trip to Arsenal next Tuesday.
NYTIMES, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, THE GUARDIAN
German students use a carnival float depicting environmental activist Greta Thunberg during a school strike to demand action on climate change on March 15, 2019. the kids have revealed a new
New Kids On The Block - This One's for the Children - YouTube
Tottenham vs Liverpool, the 2019 Champions League final. After two incredible comebacks - Liverpool vs Barcelona and Spurs against Ajax - we have an all-English final. There is exclusive live
Football: Liverpool and Spurs fans call on sponsors to hand
UK Rescuers Launch Bid to Recover Body from Sala's Plane British crash investigators on Tuesday launched an underwater operation to recover a body from the wreckage of the plane carrying Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala in the Channel.
UK Rescuers Launch Bid To Recover Body From Emiliano Sala's
CARDIFF, Wales (REUTERS) - Bottom club Huddersfield Town ended their eight-match losing streak in the Premier League with a goalless draw at fellow strugglers Cardiff City on Saturday (Jan 12). Cardiff, in 17th place, did not manage a shot on target and Huddersfield were left fuming over a decision from referee Lee Mason.
Huddersfield end losing run with 0-0 draw at Cardiff
United Spurs Juve And Inter Ready To Heat Up Icc Singapore. Singapore Spurs Tottenhamhotspur. Manchester United Supporters Club Singapore The Official.
Spurs, Man United, Juventus and Inter heading to Singapore
Rescuers ended their search, on Thursday, for the plane carrying Premier League soccer player Emiliano Sala, which disappeared over the English Channel three days ago, after saying there was
UK rescuers end search for missing plane carrying soccer
MANCHESTER: Pep Guardiola says Manchester City and Liverpool have raised the bar in what is required to win a Premier League title after a blockbuster campaign by both teams. If both sides win
Guardiola: Man City have raised the bar in EPL, Latest
"At times we played really good football but it can, and it must be, a lot better on Sunday," said Van Dijk. "There were times where we did not put enough pressure on them and were sloppy and lost the ball. "Against Germany we can expect a completely different game and we all realise that. We know what we are capable of."
Southampton 1-3 Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp's side return to top of Premier League after tough test at St Mary's as Liverpool reclaimed top spot in the Premier League by coming from behind to beat
Liverpool back above Man City at the top of the league
Neymar's dad drops huge hint his son could leave PSG in the summer. The Brazilian, 27, has been heavily linked with Barcelona and Real Madrid in the last year
LaLiga: Real Madrid 'meet' with Neymar's father
Arrizabalaga dropped as Chelsea beat Tottenham 2-0 | Free
Football: Watford's Andre Gray strikes late winner to spoil Brendan Rodgers' Leicester debut against former side Watford's Andre Gray celebrating after scoring against Leicester City during their
Watford's Andre Gray strikes late to spoil Brendan Rodgers
LONDON (AFP) - Raheem Sterling scored a hat-trick as England started what they hope is a road back to Wembley for the Euro 2020 final with a comprehensive 5-0 win over the Czech Republic to open
Raheem Sterling hits hat-trick as England thrash Czech
0 comments:
Post a Comment