Argentinian navy calls off search for missing submarine
December 1, 2017
The Argentinian navy has ended its search and rescue mission for a submarine that went missing 15 days ago. The crew only had enough oxygen to last up to 10 days if the sub remained intact under the sea.
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The navy will continue trying to locate the ARA San Juan with international partners, navy spokesman Enrique Balbi told a news conference on Thursday.
"More than double the number of days have passed where it would have been possible to rescue the crew," Balbi said on Thursday.
There were 44 sailors on board the ARA San Juan when contact with the vessel was lost on November 15.
The navy said an explosion had occurred near the time and place where the ARA San Juan sub went missing.
The submarine had enough food and fuel to survive 90 days on the sea's surface.
The German-built ARA San Juan was en route from Ushuaia to its home base in Mar del Plata and was about 300 miles (480 kilometers) off the coast when it gave its last location and reported a battery failure.
Over a dozen boats and planes from Argentina, the US, UK, Chile and Brazil have joined the search, with the US Navy sending its Undersea Rescue Command.
The ARA San Juan launched in 1983 and is the newest of three submarines in the navy's fleet. Among the crew on board the vessel is Argentina's first female submarine officer.
Some relatives of crew members on the submarine have asked to be plaintiffs in a judicial investigation of the disappearance.
Luis Tagliapietra — the father of 27-year-old crewman Alejandro Tagliapietra — said he joined the case because he believes the navy withheld information and lied to the families of crew members.
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.