Search underway for sub with 44 aboard
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA — A U.S. Navy aircraft and a British Royal Navy ice patrol ship on Saturday joined the search for a missing Argentine navy submarine with 44 crew members that was last heard from Wednesday.
The search was hindered by strong winds in waters off Argentina’s Patagonia, where the submarine was believed to be stranded, offi- cials said. A day after play- ing down the severity of the situation, Argentine officials on Saturday signaled growing concern as they welcomed all international assistance.
“Detection has proven to be difficult despite the number of boats and air- craft,” Capt. Enrique Balbi, a spokesman for the Argentine navy, said in a televised interview Saturday. “Waves are of approximately 6 meters” — about 20 feet — “which makes it much more difficult.”
The Argentine navy is “accepting all possible or necessary help” in order to “not discard any hypothe- sis,” Balbi said, noting that search teams had scoured about half of the area where they believed the submarine could be.
President Mauricio Macri went on Twitter on Friday night to say that his administration was “committed to using all the national and international resources nec- essary to find the submarine ARA San Juan as soon as possible.”
Macri also said his government was in touch with the family members of the crew. “We share their con- cern and that of all Argentines,” he wrote. Pope Fran- cis, who is Argentine, added his “fervent prayers” in a telegram Saturday.
The British navy’s assistance was notable given the war Britain and Argentina fought in 1982 over the Falk- land Islands, which Argen- tina has long claimed as its sovereign territory. Both navies lost vessels, and nearly 1,000 military personnel died in the 10-week conflict.
The Protector, a British ice patrol ship, was expected to arrive at the search area from the Falkland Islands on Saturday afternoon, according to the British Embassy in Buenos Aires. In February, the ship was denied per- mission to dock in Buenos Aires, Argentine news media reported.
British officials have also put a C-130 Hercules aircraft stationed in the islands on standby.
plane in after counternarcotics El military Navy’s patrol aircraft, A In Argentina Salvador. U.S. a being was and statement, newest Navy said has expected reconnaissance diverted Saturday the P-8A “state-of-the- maritime plane, mission Poseidon the to from arrive night U.S. the in a cation equipment, allowing art it of ies to missions of sensors support water, search-and-rescue over and including a wide communi- large range bod- subsurface operations.” aircraft cue Chile mission, to has assist and dispatched with Brazil, the Uru- res- an guay, have also Peru offered and South help. Africa
was The 240 missing nautical submarine miles from the coast when it was last tracked. It was traveling from the Patagonian city of Ush- uaia to Mar del Plata, in Buenos Aires province, conducting a routine security patrol. Argentina’s three submarines are usually deployed to combat illegal fishing.
The submarine left Ushuaia on Nov. 8 and was scheduled to arrive in Mar del Plata on Sunday, according to the navy.