Public back fundraiser to find David Ibbotson

Sunday 10 February 2019

A Go Fund Me campaign to pay for a new search to find David Ibbotson is finding support from the public, with almost £100,000 raised in a day.

It's been set up by Danielle Ibbotson who is believed to be the pilot's daughter.

He was last seen almost three weeks ago when he piloted a private plane chartered to take footballer Emiliano Sala from Nantes in France to Cardiff.

Pictured: David Ibbotson and Emiliano Sala. 

The Argentine striker had just signed a £15million contract to join the premier league club, but had wanted to briefly return to France to say goodbye to his club mates and to make arrangements for his dog to later join him in Wales.

Instead, the trip ended in tragedy when the Piper Malibu which Mr Ibbotson was flying disappeared as it flew past the Channel Islands. A search and rescue mission, mainly manned by volunteers, was called off after three days. A Go Fund Me campaign to relaunch the search quickly raised more than £300,000 and saw shipwreck expert David Mearns recruited to find the plane.

In the meantime, the Air Accident Investigation Branch had started its enquiries and within a week both Mr Mearns, using a vessel with sonar equipment, and the AAIB were checking a small zone of just 2sq nautical miles north west of Alderney. Within hours they had found the plane, and it was later confirmed that a body was still on board it.

Pictured: Emiliano Sala's body was still on board the stricken plane when it was found at the bottom of the Channel. 

The AAIB was able to recover the body - which was Mr Sala - but said bad weather had hampered efforts to also bring up the plane and the search was called off with an interim report into the incident due within weeks.

With the news the search was over, and that only Mr Sala's body had been found, many people said that was because the younger man was a professional footballer. While David Mearns has been quoted as saying he would help the Ibbotson family recover their lost loved one, there has been no indication another search is about to start yet.

While the Go Fund Me page to pay for a private search for Mr Sala attracted support from famous footballers all over the world, those paying towards a search for Mr Ibbotson appear to be members of the public.

Mr Ibbotson's daughter wrote that as a family they are relying on the kindness of good hearted people to help them find their "beloved Dad, Husband and Son."

She paid tribute to Mr Sala in her request for financial support without naming him.

"As a family we are trying to come to terms with the tragedy and the loss of two incredible men.

"To be told the search has now been called off for the foreseeable future has only made this tragic time more difficult.

"We can not bare the thought of him being alone, we need him home so that we are able to lay him to rest.

"Any donations would be very much appreciated. To ensure a search is done so we are able to give David the correct send off he deserves and to support the family."

Pictured: A number of people have backed the Go Fund Me campaign to relaunch the search to find David Ibbotson. 

Among those supporting the campaign to relaunch the search, some people said; "everyone should have the chance to say goodbye" and "it's easy to forget there were two souls that were lost in the Channel that evening. No doubt Dave done his best to keep Sala and himself alive, I hope you get the opportunity to bring him home and put him to rest."

Pictured top: A Go Fund Me Campaign has been launched by David Ibbotson's daughter to relaunch the search to find him.