The ship that found the ARA San Juan found the remains of another

The French submarine Minerve sank in the space of four minutes in the Mediterranean on 27 January 1968 with 52 crew on board, for reasons that, so far, have not been clarified.

Half a century later, at the request of the parents of the crew, the search for the ship was reactivated and this weekend, they found their remains 45 kilometers from the port of Toulon, in the south-east of the country. .

"We have just found the Minerva. It's a success, a relief and a technical feat. I think of the family members who have been waiting for this moment for so long, "Defense Minister Florence Parly announced Monday.

The US ship "Seabed Constructor", of the company Ocean Infinity, was responsible for the discovery, the same ship that struck the ARA San Juan on November 17, the submarine of the national flag that had disappeared a year later. early with 44 crew members. on board.

The Minerve was discovered at a depth of about 2,400 meters (1,500 more than the ARA San Juan, located at 917 meters and about 550 kilometers from Comodoro Rivadavia), thanks to a campaign using seismic signals, a mapping of the seabed and, in particular the new sonar and several drones.

It is precisely these recent technological advances in underwater exploration that have prompted the families of the victims of the sinking to request the reopening of the search, on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of their disappearance. The order came into effect in October 2018 and this year, the investigation that helped to find the ship was opened.

The "Seabed Constructor" arrived on the French coast last Tuesday, after the specialists had defined an area where it was likely that La Minerve was.

From the previous company dedicated to the research of the submarine, immediately after losing the signal, even the famous commander Jacques Cousteau had participated aboard his mini submarine.

Several hypotheses have been put forward as to the cause of the sinking: collision with a ship, missile explosion, damage to the rear, accident in the ventilation pipe or torpedo. Until now, none of them could be confirmed.