Emiliano Sala’s father has spoken of his anguish and disbelief after wreckage of the plane carrying the missing Cardiff footballer was discovered in the English Channel.
Speaking at his home in Argentina, Horacio Sala said he was “desperate” after a privately-funded search operation found the aircraft in waters north of Guernsey on Sunday.
“I cannot believe it. This is a dream. A bad dream. I am desperate,” Mr Sala told local broadcaster Cronica TV.
“I communicated with them every day, but since I do not have WhatsApp it’s hard to call them or call me.
“They told me that the days passed and there was no news of Emiliano or the plane.”
Marine scientist David Mearns, who directed a privately-funded search operation north of Guernsey on behalf of the Sala family, said on Sunday that the wreckage of the plane was “located earlier this morning”.
The Piper Malibu N264DB carrying 28-year-old Sala and pilot David Ibbotson, 59, disappeared over the English Channel on January 21 after leaving Nantes in France for Cardiff.
Two vessels, including one commissioned by the AAIB, using sonar had been taking part in a fresh search covering an area of around four square nautical miles.
“Wreckage of the plane carrying Emiliano Sala and piloted by David Ibbotson was located early this morning by the FPV MORVEN,” Mearns said.
“As agreed with the AAIB they moved the GEO OCEAN III over the position we provided them to visually identify the plane by ROV.
“The families of Emiliano Sala and David Ibbotson have been notified by Police. The AAIB will be making a statement tomorrow. Tonight our sole thoughts are with the families and friends of Emiliano and David.”
Speaking to Sky News, Mr Mearns said: “This is about the best result we could have hoped for the families.
“But tonight they have heard devastating news and in respect of the families I won’t comment any further about what has happened.”