The ship that found the ARA San Juan found the remains of another submarine gone 50 years ago

"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 American ship "Builder of the seabed", of the company Ocean Infinity, was responsible for the discovery, the same ship that hit the ARA San Juan Nov. 17, the national flag submarine that had disappeared a year earlier with 44 crew members on board.

Marine bottom builder

The Seabed Builder is the ship that found Ara San Juan.

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, seabed mapping and, in particular, the new sonar and several drones.

It is precisely these recent technological advances in underwater exploration that have encouraged relatives of the victims of the sinking to request the reopening of the search, on the 50th anniversary of his 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 search of the submarine, immediately after the loss of the signal, even the famous commander Jacques Cousteau had participated aboard your mini submarine.

There were several hypotheses. cause of sinking: collision with a ship, missile explosion, deterioration of the stern, accident in the ventilation pipe or torpedo. Until the moment, none of them could be confirmed.