Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s (WHOI) research vessel Atlantis has joined the search for the missing Argentine submarine ARG San Juan.
The vessel was en route to a planned oceanographic mission in the South Atlantic when U.S. Navy officials directed it to head to the area where last communications were received from the submarine, WHOI informed.
Atlantis is conducting the search operations using its multibeam sonar and underwater communications systems.
The ship searched the most northern of three rectangular search areas of the ocean until November 22, when it was redirected to new location in the most southern target ‘box’, where it is continuing the search.
The ARA San Juan submarine went missing on November 15 en route from the port of Ushuaia to its base in Mar del Plata, with 44 crew members aboard.
The search is still ongoing following a reports about the explosion near the last known location of the submarine and the water entering the sub through its snorkel.