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As over three weeks have gone by since Vittorio Missoni's plane went missing, it's probably safe to say that most people have given up hope of finding the Italian fashion legend alive. Whatever hope remained was probably dashed on Tuesday, when news emerged that a piece of luggage belonging to one of the plane's Italian passengers washed ashore on the Dutch island of Curaçao, about 200 miles from the resort where Missoni's plane took off. A German tourist found the suitcase on a beach and, according to the Associated Press, "contacted the owner of the bag in Italy, who in turn called police in Curacao." It's unclear if the owner was on the plane or if it was just his bag. Common sense suggests the latter. However, despite all the bad news, the Missoni family remains hopeful.
So this is sad. Authorities haven't completely called off the search for Missoni, three Italian tourists and a crew of two, but they're directing most of their efforts at this point towards a deep water search for what might be left of the plane. A special ship is supposed to arrive in February to help with that effort. In the meantime, the Missoni family insists that something is amiss. "A plane cannot vanish in this way, on a short route, without leaving any trace," Missoni's 28-year-old son Ottavio said about a week after the accident. "I remain convinced that the least plausible reason is that they crashed into the water."