Missing plane: Mobile phone data checked

Wednesday 23 January 2019

Data from Premier League star Emiliano Sala's phone is being checked as searches for the missing footballer, his pilot and their plane intensify.

Three planes and one helicopter are currently in the air over the Channel Islands as part of the search for his plane, which went missing near Alderney on Monday.

A lifeboat was also deployed to Bouley Bay this morning to inspect reports of "debris".

The RNLI lifeboat launched from St. Catherine around 10:00 before encircling the island's north coast and then making its way back to the station.

Pictured: A maritime traffic map showing the lifeboat during its search.

RNLI St. Catherine spokesperson Helier De Veulle told Express that the lifeboat had launched on the request of the Coastguard, but that they could not confirm whether the debris was linked with the missing plane.

He added that the report wasn't something "we would normally" inspect, but that given the "heightened sensitivity" surrounding Sala's case, they had been sent to the area. It later emerged that the "debris" was likely to be a fishing crate.

Guernsey Police announced at 11:30 that "so far today nothing spotted can be attributed to the missing plane".

11.30am update

There are currently three planes and one helicopter in the air.

We are also reviewing satellite imagery and mobile phone data to see if they can be of any assistance in the search.

So far today nothing spotted can be attributed to the missing plane.

— Guernsey Police (@GuernseyPolice) January 23, 2019

They added in an update: "We are also reviewing satellite imagery and mobile phone data to see if they can be of any assistance in the search."

Police said yesterday that the chances of the Argentine striker and his pilot having survived were "slim", but this morning said they were still considering the possibility that they may be on a life raft.

Vigils were held overnight and tributes paid on social media to the player.

Last night also saw the emergence of an apparent WhatsApp audio clip sent by the footballer to his friends in which he describes the plane as "falling apart".

Follow Express for updates...