Investigators reveal they found a body in the wreckage of a plane carrying missing Argentine soccer player Emiliano Sala
Investigators reveal that they found a body in the wreckage of a plane carrying missing Argentine soccer player Emiliano Sala and his pilot.
A sick photo of Argentinian soccer player Emiliano Sala taken after his death in a plane crash surfaced on Twitter, sparking outrage and a U.K. police investigation.
A light aircraft carrying Sala crashed into the English Channel on Jan. 21, 2019, killing the soccer player and the plane’s pilot, David Ibbotson.
The 28-year-old was on his way to join his new team, Cardiff City of the Premier League, when the plane went missing, sparking a major search. Sala's body was recovered from the aircraft’s wreckage two weeks later, although Ibbotson’s body has never been found.
SOCCER PLAYER EMILIANO SALA'S BODY RECOVERED FROM PLANE WRECKAGE, POLICE CONFIRM
The post apparently showed the player’s torso at the Holly Tree Lodge mortuary in Bournemouth, U.K, according to Sky News. Citing unnamed sources, Sky News reports that the police investigation is not focusing on mortuary employees. Detectives say that someone may have broken into the mortuary to photograph Sala’s corpse.
In this image released Monday Feb. 4, 2019, by the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) showing the rear left side of the fuselage including part of the aircraft registration N264DB that went missing carrying soccer player Emiliano Sala, when it disappeared from radar contact on Jan. 21 2019. (AAIB via AP)
The photo, which was reportedly posted several weeks ago, has been removed from the platform and Twitter is closely monitoring the situation.
"We have a gratuitous gore policy which we take robust action on when we identify content that violates our rules,” a Twitter spokeswoman told Fox News via email.
Dorset Police in the U.K. has launched an investigation into the sick post.
In this picture taken on Nov. 4, 2018, Argentine soccer player, Emiliano Sala, of the FC Nantes club, western France, reacts after scoring during a soccer match against Guingamp, in Nantes, France. (AP Photo/David Vincent)
Understandably, the image has fueled widespread anger.
“We are revolted by this heartless act and cannot understand why anyone would do such a vile and hurtful thing,” said Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council, which is responsible for the mortuary, in a statement emailed to Fox News. “We are of course supporting the Police in their investigation in any way that we can, and will continue to provide any assistance required. As the Police investigation is ongoing, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage.”
SALA CRASH REPORT SAYS PLANE NOT LICENSED FOR COMMERCIAL USE
People leave flowers on Emiliano Sala's coffin at the cemetery in Santa Fe, Argentina, Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Sala had just completed a $19.4 million transfer from French team FC Nantes when the plane crashed near the island of Guernsey.
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The Sala family’s tragedy continued last week when the soccer player’s father died of a heart attack at his home in Argentina.
Fox News’ Lucia I. Suarez Sang contributed to this article. Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers
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