By Hussain Hazazi

Okaz/Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH – Family members of the Saudi trainee pilot Abdullah Al-Shareef, who went missing on May 17 in the Philippines, say that there are strong indications with substantial evidence that the plane did not crash and Abdullah and his companion, the Filipino trainer, are still alive. They also expressed doubt about the possibility of Al-Shareef being kidnapped by the trainer himself.

Al-Shareef went missing in Occidental Mindoro island during a training flight with his Filipino trainer. Al-Shareef and his brother, studying aviation in the Philippines at their own expenses, went to the island for training. Ever since receiving information about the missing, Al-Shareef’s family members reached the island where the plane reportedly disappeared.

“The search is ongoing, and there are chances that Al-Shareef is still alive and that the search team is still collecting and documenting the evidence,” family members said. Recently, the search teams in the Philippines stated that they had come across important information that may lead them to unravel the mystery about the fate of Al-Shareef and his trainer. According to well-informed sources, the technical information confirms that the missing plane did not crash. Family members stated that these indicators came after analyzing the information available about the disappearance, using the latest equipment to cover the search area identified at sea and on the island of Occidental Mindor, with a total area estimated at 21 km long and 7 km wide. They said that the search and rescue teams could not find out any debris, wreckage or parts of the aircraft under water or over water.

It came as a shock to the family what was circulated recently

Reports on the sighting of the plane’s wreckage and some bodies and shredded flesh in the sea and personal belongings of the trainer came as a shock to the family members. Till this moment, reports on the plane’s wreckage and some shredded body parts have not been substantiated. However, a fisherman found a bag containing the trainer’s identity card, bank cards and photos, and this is the only confirmed information, they said. The relatives demanded compliance with accuracy and credibility in publishing information and not to circulate rumors, as these are affecting the missing pilot’s family.