Specialized ship to search for plane in Venezuela

In this photo taken on March 30, 2005 Vittorio Missoni, right, and his wife Maurizia Castiglioni smile in Milan, Italy. The search resumed Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013 for a small plane that has disappeared off the Venezuelan coast with six people aboard, including Vittorio Missoni, a top executive in Italy’s Missoni fashion house, officials said. Vittorio Missoni, 58, is the director general of the iconic brand and the eldest son of the company’s founder. Flying with him on Friday’s flight from Venezuela’s Los Roques resort archipelago to Caracas, was Missoni’s wife, Maurizia Castiglioni, two Italian friends of the couple, and a crew of two Venezuelans. AP

CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela’s government says a ship specialized in deep-water searches will help scan the seafloor for a plane that disappeared carrying the CEO of Italian fashion house Missoni.

The BN-2 Islander plane dropped off radar screens soon after takeoff on Jan. 4 from the resort islands of Los Roques. It was carrying two crew members and four Italian tourists, including Vittorio Missoni, CEO of his family’s fashion company.

Rear Adm. Elsa Gutierrez, Venezuela’s minister of air and sea transport, told state media on Friday that the ship was leased by Italian authorities to contribute to the search and will arrive in early February.

She says the ship will expand current search efforts by searching for the plane in deep waters off the islands.