Argentina: Sounds heard in sub search might be of explosion
November 23, 2017
The Argentine navy said the missing ARA San Juan submarine may have suffered an explosion about the same time it sent its last signal. There are growing concerns for the 44 crew members.
Image: picture alliance/Armada Argentina/telam/dpa/J. S. Lobos
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Speaking on the eighth day of an international search operation, navy spokesman Enrique Balbi told reporters on Thursday that noises were heard near the San Juan's last known position.
"An anomalous, singular, short, violent and non-nuclear event consistent with an explosion" occurred shortly after the last communication with the San Juan and its 44 crew members last week.
The submarine had only a seven-day supply of oxygen.
Asked during an evening news conference about the fate of the 44 sailors, Balbi said the situation was "critical".
Balbi said there was no sign that the supposed explosion was the result of an attack.
The search for Argentina's missing submarine
A round-the-clock international search has been launched after Argentina's ARA San Juan submarine went missing on November 15. Rescuers raced to locate the missing vessel and its 44 crew members before oxygen runs out.
Image: Reuters/M. Brindicci
Where is the ARA San Juan?
Argentina's ARA San Juan went missing in the South Atlantic last week with dozens of crew members on board. The German-built diesel-electric submarine was commissioned in 1985, but was refitted in 2014 — leading to some concerns that a mistake was made during the renovation.
Image: picture alliance/Armada Argentina/telam/dpa/J. S. Lobos
Missing at sea
The submarine departed from the extreme southern port of Ushuaia on November 8 after it took part in a training exercise. Argentina says it lost contact with the submarine on November 15.
Who is on board?
There are 44 crew members on board the submarine, including Argentina's first female navy submarine officer. Eliana Maria Krawczyk, 35, joined the navy in 2004 and rose to become the master-at-arms on board the ARA San Juan.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Argentine Navy
What could have gone wrong?
Authorities do not yet know what happened on the missing submarine, but it's possible there was a technical issue. The submarine's captain reported that one of the ship's batteries had failed before communication was lost. There was speculation that an "unusual" noise transmitted just hours after the sub's last contact could have been the sound of an explosion.
Image: Reuters/Handout: Armada Argentina
International search
Argentina is leading a massive search for the missing submarine along with the help of several other countries including: Brazil, Britain, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Peru, the United States and Uruguay. Britain's HMS Clyde (pictured above) also joined in the search as it was returning from a patrol.
Image: Royal Navy United Kingdom
Scanning the skies
Several aircraft were also used in the search, but rescue efforts have been hampered by bad weather. Search teams are combing an area of around 185,000 square miles (480,000 square kilometers) — roughly the size of Spain.
Image: US Air Force
Searching with sonar
On November 18, search units largely relied on information gathered by British polar exploration vessel, the HMS Protector (pictured above). The ship is equipped with underwater sonar technology and was following the lost submarine's path.
Image: Royal Navy United Kingdom
False alarms
Relatives have had to endure days of false hope however, after underwater sounds were determined to have originated from sea creatures and satellite signals turned out to be false alarms. Flares and a life raft were also found in the search area, but neither came from the missing submarine.
Image: Armada Argentina
President prays with relatives
The disappearance of the submarine has gripped the nation. Argentina's President Mauricio Macri (L) has been praying with the family members of crew members and coordinating with naval leaders.
Image: Reuters/Argentine Presidency
Families clinging to hope
"Argentina, be strong. In God we trust, we wait for you," reads a flag outside a navy base in Mar Del Plata. Worried relatives gathered at the base to await news of their loved ones. "We can make up a thousand movies with happy and sad endings, but the reality is that the days pass by and not knowing anything kills you," said Carlos Mendoza, the brother one of the crew members.
Image: Reuters/M. Brindicci
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He added that relatives of the crew members had been informed of the latest developments, but stressed that the search would continue until the fate of every San Juan crew member was known.
Earlier on Thursday, Balbi said that teams looking for the missing Argentine submarine would return to a previously searched area in the South Atlantic after officials indicated that the week-old noise could provide a clue to the vessel's location. Balbi then described the noise as a "hydro-acoustic anomaly," which was detected in the ocean around three hours after the navy's last communication with the submarine on November 15.
The unusual noise was located 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of the ARA San Juan's last known position.
Information about the noise had only been made available now, Balbi said, after the United States had alerted Argentina and data from agencies reporting on the "hydro-acoustic" phenomenon had been reviewed.
Hope dwindling for missing sailors
More than a week has gone by since the ARA San Juan went missing as it was sailing from the southern port of Ushuaia to the city of Mar del Plata, located around 400 kilometers (250 miles) south of Buenos Aires.
The Argentine navy and experts are concerned that oxygen for the 44-person crew would only last between seven and 10 days if the sub was submerged.
Over a dozen airplanes and ships are taking part in the multinational search, which has been hampered by stormy weather and rocky waves that have swelled to more than 6 meters (20 feet).
Last week, the 34-year-old German-built submarine had flagged a breakdown and said it was diverting to a navy base at Mar del Plata, where many of the crew members live.
"The hours go by. We're hoping for a miracle. I don't want to bury my brother, I want him with me. I feel he'll come back, but I am aware of time passing," said Elena Alfaro, whose brother is aboard the missing vessel.
