Argentina says satellite calls detected, likely from missing submarine with 44 crew
The last confirmed location of the German-built ARA San Juan was 432km off Argentina’s southern Atlantic coast early on Wednesday.
Hopes that 44 crew members of a missing Argentine navy submarine may be found alive rose after the defence ministry said the vessel likely tried to communicate via satellite on Saturday as an international search mission was underway in the stormy South Atlantic.
The ministry said seven failed “satellite calls” that it believes came from the ARA San Juan submarine were detected in a likely sign the crew was trying to re-establish contact.
The signals, in the late morning and early afternoon, lasted between four and 36 seconds, the ministry said. Argentina is working on tracing the location with an unnamed US company specialised in satellite communications, the ministry said.
The satellite communications were believed to have failed because of bad weather, said a source in the defence ministry who was not authorised to speak publicly.
It was not immediately clear what type of calls the vessel may have tried to make, but submarines that are stricken underwater can float a location beacon – known as an EPIRB – to the surface, which then emits emergency signals via satellite.
