The hunt for an Argentine submarine missing since Nov. 15 pressed on through gusting South Atlantic winds on Sunday while families of the 44 crew members tried to cling to hope despite tough search conditions and worries about the sub's air supply.

The ARA San Juan had only seven days worth of oxygen when it reported its last position nearly 300 miles (483 km) off the coast. Relatives of crew members tried to focus on the possibility that the vessel may have been able to rise to periscope depth at some point after its disappearance, allowing it to refill its air tanks.

Argentina's weather service ordered an alert for "intense winds of between 50 and 90 kilometers per hour (31 and 56 mph), with gusts," in Chubut province, where search vessels were sailing from.