Emiliano Sala: UK police focusing search on life raft scenario

Search and rescue operations for the plane -- a single turbine Piper Malibu which disappeared from radar near the Channel Islands just before 8:30 p.m. local time (3:30 p.m. ET) Monday -- resumed Wednesday.

At 9.30 a.m local time (4.30am ET) Wednesday, Guernsey police said on Twitter that the search was being carried out based on four possibilities: that the pilot landed elsewhere but not made contact, that they have been picked up by a passing ship, the life raft option or the aircraft broke up on contact with the water.

"Our search area is prioritized on the life raft option," said the tweet.

Cardiff City's record signing

Earlier on Wednesday, Guernsey police said two planes would search a targeted area they believed, based on review of the ties and weather since the aircraft went missing, had the "highest likelihood of finding anything."

The plane requested descent on passing Guernsey but lost contact with air traffic control while it was flying at 2,300 feet.

Sala, 28, was traveling from Nantes to Cardiff after having said farewell to his former teammates in France following his reported £15 million ($19.3 million) move to the English Premier League club.

When the searched was called off for the evening on Tuesday, authorities had warned that they did not expect to find any survivors.

Guernsey police said on Twitter that they had found "no signs" of those on board, adding: "If they did land on water, the chances of survival are at this stage, unfortunately, slim."

Capt. David Barker, harbormaster for the state of Guernsey, told reporters Tuesday there had been no distress call, saying "it was simply lost from radar and from communications."

'I was in shock'

The father of Sala, Horacio, said he was in shock as he waits for news about his missing son.

Speaking to CNN en Espanyol Tuesday, Sala's father said no official had been in touch with him.

"No one has called me, not one has contacted us," he said, revealing that the last time he had spoken to his son was Sunday.

"He was fine, he was happy for his next step ... going forwards ... a bigger club and he could play [in the] Premiership. He was very pleased," he said. "We can't explain this."

Welsh club Cardiff City said Tuesday it would "continue to pray for positive news."

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