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Buenos Aires, Argentina – The Argentine Navy announced Saturday morning that the researchers had found the missing submarine ARA San Juan a year after his death, with 44 crew members on board. The vessel was detected at a depth of 2,625 feet in the waters off the Valdes Peninsula in Argentine Patagonia, the statement said.
The Navy said that a "positive identification" had been made by a remotely operated submarine from the US ship Ocean Infinity, which had been hired for the latest search of the missing vessel.
The discovery was announced just two days after the celebration of the disappearance of the submarine by the families of missing sailors on November 15, 2017. On Thursday, the day of the anniversary of the disappearance, President Mauricio Macri has said the families of the submariners should not feel lonely and delivered an "absolute and non-negotiable commitment" to find "the truth".
Macri promised a full investigation after the loss of the submarine. The federal police raided naval bases and other buildings last January as part of the investigation, shortly after the dismissal of the navy leader by the government.
The Argentine Defense Ministry said the submarine had been "imploded" at about 3,000 feet below the surface of the ocean, reports Reuters. The Defense Ministry said it could not yet confirm or deny whether the submarine discovered could be recovered.
The San Juan was returning to its base in the coastal town of Mar del Plata when contact was lost. Argentina lost all hope of finding survivors after intense research with the help of 18 countries, but the navy continued its search.
The TR-1700 class diesel-electric submarine built in Germany was commissioned in the mid-1980s and refitted between 2008 and 2014. During the $ 12 million upgrade, the vessel was reduced in half and its engines and batteries have been replaced. Experts said that redevelopments could be difficult because they involved the integration of systems produced by different manufacturers. Even the slightest mistake during the cutting phase could jeopardize the safety of the ship and the crew.
The Navy had previously announced that the captain had announced on November 15 that water was entering the snorkel and was causing the short circuit of one of the submarine's batteries. The captain subsequently announced that it had been contained.
A few hours later, an explosion was detected near the time and place where the San Juan was heard for the last time. The Navy said the blast could have been caused by a "hydrogen concentration" triggered by the battery problem reported by the captain.
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