The latest step in the search for missing Cardiff footballer Emiliano Sala is underway with an underwater expedition off the island of Guernsey.
Sala disappeared along with pilot David Ibbotson on Jan. 21 when their aircraft vanished from radar en route to Cardiff from Nantes. An official search for the Piper Malibu plane was called off after three days and Guernsey harbour master David Barker said the chances of finding survivors were "extremely remote."
- Sam Borden: In Search of Emiliano Sala
Following a crowdfunding campaign, the search for the pair was reopened on Jan. 27 and in conjunction with a privately funded vessel, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) begun exploring an area about 24 nautical miles north of Guernsey on Sunday at 9 a.m. GMT.
The AAIB said their search is expected to last three days while David Mearns, a marine scientist who is coordinating part of the investigation, said: "We will continue to work until the plane is located."
Cushions likely to have come from the plane were discovered on a beach in France near Surtainville on the Cotentin Peninsula by French authorities on Jan. 30.
Cardiff beat Bournemouth 2-0 on Saturday in their first home match since the disappearance of their record £15 million signing. Manager Neil Warnock was overcome with emotion at the end of the match and said: "I'm really proud and I'm sure he would have been. Knowing the lad, Emiliano, as I did, I knew he would be with us today.
"I was very emotional. I was all right until the final whistle went and I went on the pitch. The last 10 days or whatever it is, I can't begin to explain to you how difficult it has been.
"Every fan stayed and the noise volume was amazing. I've never seen or heard anything like it and I will remember it for the rest of my life really."
Before the match, a fan mosaic showing the colours of Sala's native Argentina was displayed during a minute's silence for the 28-year-old. Bobby Reid, who scored twice in the match, held up a t-shirt bearing a picture of Sala after netting Cardiff's opener.
A banner read: "We never saw you play and never saw you score but Emiliano, our beautiful Bluebird, we will love you forever more."