Argentina’s missing submarine ARA San Juan found

Argentina’s ministry of defense and the navy on Saturday said that a United States-based firm has found the submarine ARA San Juan, a year after it had disappeared in the Atlantic ocean with 44 crew members on board.

The Argentine navy said Ocean Infinity used a remote-operated vehicle to trace the submarine 800 meters deep into the waters.

According to Ocean Infinity - which would be paid $7.5 million for the search - the submarine was detected some 600 kilometers off Comodoro Rivadavia, its operational center during the search operation.

San Juan had disappeared on Nov. 15 last year while sailing toward its base in Mar del Plata from Ushuaia and after the captain had reported a battery short-circuit caused by water entering the vessel via the snorkel of the vessel.

Although, the navy had assured that the defect was fixed and San Juan had continued its navigation toward Mar del Plata, communication with the ship was lost.

International agencies had reported an explosion near the vessel, hours after the disappearance of the submarine.

Several countries had participated in a five-month-long search for the missing submarine, covering an area of 430 kilometers.

Ocean Infinity was hired in early September by the Argentine government to renew the search.