Search for Sala continues

Rescuers are into their third day of searching for a Premier League footballer and a pilot whose plane vanished over the English Channel.

Police said once Thursday morning’s searches had finished, a decision would be made whether to continue.

Cardiff City’s Argentine striker Emiliano Sala, 28, and pilot David Ibbotson were on the aircraft that disappeared from radar on Monday.

Guernsey Police said no trace of the plane had yet been found.

The force tweeted: “We are commencing a coastal search using the Channel Islands Air Search plane of Burhou, the Casquets, Alderney, the north coast of the Cherbourg Peninsula, north coast of Jersey and then back over Sark.”

ALSO READ:  Cardiff City deny organising Emiliano Sala’s plane

A spokesman said a search of the island of Burhou had been carried out on foot, but no trace of the plane, Sala or Mr Ibbotson had been found.

But Guernsey harbour master Captain David Barker admitted the chances of finding either man alive had “faded to almost zero”.

He added: “As the Channel Islands air searcher said, the survival times for someone in the water is very low, we estimated that at around three hours, the time of survival in a life raft would be longer.

“No-one could be more concerned for these two men’s safety than myself… You can be sure that my focus is still on trying to deal with any hope of survival.”