By: David Pepin:
The body of Argentinian soccer player Emiliano Sala was recovered late last week after his plane went missing over the English Channel on January 21st. A police report confirmed the body previously pulled from the wreckage of the crash was in fact that of the 28-year old Sala.
Sala, who had been flying on a small airplane from France to meet with his new team, Cardiff City in the English Premier League, was tragically killed when his plane went down about 21 miles off of the small island of Guernsey, located in the Channel between France and England.
The cause of the plane’s sudden fall from the sky is unknown as of now, but there is much speculation into the pilot’s possibly inadequate skill level and harsh weather conditions playing a factor into the plane’s fateful journey.
The body of the pilot, David Ibbotson, has not been recovered or found yet. Ibbotson was the only other person who was with Sala in the plane when it went down. British authorities called off their search after three days, saying that,‘“chances of survival” were “extremely remote,”’ according to an article published by the Washington Post.
After the recovered body was formally identified as that of Sala, it was announced his body would be flown to his hometown in his native country of Argentina, where a vigil will be held for him, the Mayor of the town announced according to BBC.
For the family of Sala, this news brings with it closure that they may finally mourn their lost son and brother. Sala’s sister Romina posted a heartfelt Instagram post of her lost brother with the caption “Your soul in my soul, it will shine forever, illuminating my existence. I love you, Tito.”
Members of the soccer community have banded together after this tragedy to show their condolences for Sala and his family. Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ӧzil tweeted “No words to describe how sad this is. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family and also to the family of the pilot.”
In an act of mourning, the French soccer Ligue 1, which Sala’s former club, Nantes, plays in and Ligue 2 announced that it would hold a one-minute applause at all of its games this past weekend.
In a statement responding to the support the family received through the whole process, the family of Sala said “Seeing the whole world mobilised to support us in our research has been an infinitely precious help.”
Sala was 28 years old.
THE AC301 