Emiliano Sala’s sister is in critical condition in hospital after she reportedly attempted to take her own life.
According to reports, Romina Sala was taken into emergency care on Tuesday July 6, in the Argentine city of Santa Fe.
The devastating news comes almost two-and-a-half years after the Argentine footballer tragically died in a plane crash off the coast of England, just days after signing a deal with Premier League side Cardiff City.
Sala’s sister, Romina was the family spokesperson following her brother’s death but she is now in critical condition, according to Argentine media. Sala went missing on January 19, two years ago, when his plane crashed over the Channel Islands after agreeing to move to Wales from Rennes.
After a huge search operation, the aircraft was found resting on the seabed with all the occupants deceased. Sala’s body was recovered a few days later but that of pilot David Ibbotson was never found.
A report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch previously concluded the aircraft carrying Sala and Mr Ibbotson suffered an in-flight break-up while being flown too fast for its design limits, and that the pilot lost control while attempting to avoid bad weather.A
It added that Mr Ibbotson was probably affected by carbon monoxide poisoning. Investigators found a contributory factor in the crash was Mr Ibbotson having no training in night flying, and a lack of recent practice in relying only on cockpit instruments to control a plane.
They also found he held a private pilot’s licence that did not allow him to conduct flights for reward.
Romina has been a regular social media user and on what would have been Emiliano’s 31st birthday on October 31, 2019, she wrote: “There are no words that can describe the pain.
“Happy birthday brother! Where ever you are, give us the strength to go on.
“I wish everything were different… I promise you we will not stop until the end. Kisses to heaven.”
In the immediate aftermath of Sala’s passing, Romina wrote: “I miss you .. and then, when I remember, I realise that time can pass, but the intensity of your memory is tattooed in all the clocks that do not work.
“Everything is still intact inside me when I give myself permission to think of you. If you knew how I miss you, you wouldn’t believe it. Would you tell me to shut up. ‘Shut up, Romina. Don’t makeup’.
“You are there present every time I open any door and I am struck with the certainty that you are nowhere…
“This photo reminds me of a beautiful day we spent… I miss you Emi.”
Sala started his professional football career with Ligue 1 side Bordeaux in 2010 before he moved to Nantes five years later.
Neil Warnock invited the forward to join him at Cardiff City but the accident happened as the transfer was going through.
