On December 17, 1964, at 06:42 (Alaska time), the San Patrick began transmitting distress signals from the vicinity of the Aleutian Islands. For more than six hours, Radio Officer Antonio Herrero Monsalve kept communication with the Japanese merchant vessel TETSUKO MARU, then on its way to Yokohama.
The communications, growing more desperate by the hour, are the only testimony of the final moments of the 32 crew members. At 12:59, the signal went silent for good.
A note on times
All times in this chronology are given in Alaska Standard Time (AKST), UTC-9. To convert to Spanish time (CET, UTC+1), add 10 hours.
Example: 06:42 AKST = 16:42 in Spain.
Chronology of communications
Transcript of the communications between the San Patrick (call sign AG2JUT) and the TETSUKO MARU, according to US Coast Guard records.
First SOS
The San Patrick transmits its first distress signal. Reported approximate position: 51°20′N 179°40′W. Requests a tow, aground bow-first.
TETSUKO MARU acknowledges
The Japanese merchant vessel TETSUKO MARU (ore carrier, 17,094 tons) receives the signal and acknowledges with code RRR.
San Patrick confirms critical situation
The San Patrick confirms the ship is sunk and asks how long until assistance arrives.
Position uncertain
The San Patrick reports that it does not know its exact position. Believes itself to be between Ulak and Amatignak Islands.
New position transmitted
A new position is transmitted: 51°20′N 179°05′W. This position will also prove erroneous.
TETSUKO MARU establishes radio bearing
The Japanese vessel manages to establish the actual position of the San Patrick using its direction finder: bearing 92°.
Desperate situation
The message turns urgent. A lifeboat is requested without delay.
DESPERATE SOS
The message reaches its peak of desperation. No power, only the receiver battery.
Last voice message
The last message transmitted by voice. After this, only Morse.
LAST SIGNAL
The TETSUKO MARU receives only Morse signals. From this moment on, all communications go unanswered. The final DF bearing is 151°.
The silence on the radio marks the end of all contact with the 32 crew members of the San Patrick.
Gaps in the documentation
The transcript of the communications we hold contains gaps and inconsistencies. There are intervals with no record at all, and some messages are partially unintelligible in the original US Coast Guard documents.
A request has been made to the Embassy of Japan in Spain for the possibility of obtaining the complete documentation and the official reports of the TETSUKO MARU, which was the only direct witness to the San Patrick communications during those six hours. This documentation could provide crucial information about the messages exchanged and the rescue efforts undertaken.
Status of the request: Awaiting reply (request submitted in 2024).
The search (December 18-23, 1964)
December 18-19
A violent storm prevents reconnaissance flights. The TETSUKO MARU circles the islands without managing to locate the wrecked vessel.
December 20
A US Navy aircraft from the Adak base finally locates the wreck at 51°18.7′N 178°57.8′W. The hull lies broken against the cliffs of Ulak Island.
A US Navy helicopter locates the hull of the San Patrick and observes from 500 ft altitude the ocean breaking through the central section. The bow is bent over the upper part of the cliff.
December 20-23
A search for survivors is carried out, with negative results. The US Coast Guard cutter USCGC TAWAKONI inspects the area.
December 23
Significant findings:
- A line-throwing gun is found firmly anchored at the top of the cliff, with 200 metres of line laid out toward the ship. This indicates that someone managed to reach land.
- 3 bodies are sighted in the vicinity of the wreck.
- Only one is recovered: that of Radio Officer Antonio Herrero Monsalve.
- The other two bodies are left behind on the grounds that their recovery is "too dangerous".
- The bodies are stripped of clothing and covered in grease.
December 25
The tug MONARCH reports a light shining on the horizon, which disappears as the vessel heads in its direction. An aircraft from Adak takes off in search of the light but finds nothing.
This light was never explained. Survivors trying to signal? A natural phenomenon? The mystery remains.
The mysterious SOS on Ulak Island
In the course of the investigation, while analysing historical satellite imagery in Google Earth, a discovery was made that could change everything we know about this wreck.
The discovery
In the course of the San Patrick investigation, an exhaustive study of the islet of Ulak was carried out using Google Earth and U.S. navigation tools. The aim was to locate the remains of the vessel where the 32 crew members perished. The wreck was located by Juan José Gámiz Arredondo; that same day, his father, Juan José Gámiz Díez, discovered the SOS in the 1985 image.
“Las cartas de obstrucciones a la navegación indicaban que el buque estaba a la vista, así que le sugerí a mi hijo que se armara de paciencia y revisara toda la costa, ampliando cada centímetro. Él encontró el pecio. Vimos que había un histórico de fotografías del satélite, en concreto hay fotos de 1985, 2010, 2011, 2021 y 2024.
Recorrimos las imágenes hacia atrás viendo las diferentes resoluciones de las tomas. Algunas ocultaban el naufragio por las sombras, nubes o el fuerte oleaje.
Cuando llegamos a la de 1985 quedé perplejo al ver claramente, en el centro del islote, muy cerca del lugar del naufragio, la palabra SOS en fuerte relieve.”
— Juan José Gámiz Díez, investigador y familiar de desaparecido
“The charts of obstructions to navigation showed that the vessel was visible, so I suggested to my son that he arm himself with patience and go over the entire coast, zooming in on every centimetre. He found the wreck. We saw that there was a history of satellite photographs, specifically from 1985, 2010, 2011, 2021 and 2024.
We went backwards through the images, looking at the different resolutions of each shot. Some concealed the wreck under shadows, clouds or heavy seas.
When we reached the 1985 image, I was stunned to see, clearly, in the centre of the islet, very close to the wreck site, the word SOS in strong relief.”
— Juan José Gámiz Díez, researcher and relative of one of the missing
[Translation from the original Spanish]
Satellite imagery — Google Earth
Image analysis
Google Earth
Technical data
| Image date | 1985 (the only image available for that year) |
|---|---|
| Location | Centre of the islet of Ulak, near the wreck site |
| Coordinates | 51°20′N 179°05′W (transmitted position; actual wreck site at 51°18.7′N 178°57.8′W per USCG) |
| Features | The letters “SOS” in strong relief on the ground |
| Visibility | Clear in the 1985 image, less visible in later ones |
Available images
Nautical chart — NOAA Office of Coast Survey
The questions it raises
“If the SOS visible on the islet is genuine and not the product of a visual confusion, we would be facing the abandonment of possible survivors.”
If the SOS is genuine, there were several survivors.
Who made the SOS?
Creating letters visible from space requires several people working for a considerable amount of time. Were there survivors of the wreck who remained on the islet?
When was it made?
The image is from 1985, but the SOS could have been created at any time between 1964 (the wreck) and that date. How long did they survive?
Why were they not rescued?
On December 20, 1964, the US Coast Guard reported that all 32 crew members had “apparently perished”. Why was no rescue team sent to inspect the islet?
Connected to the denial of access?
The United States denied the families access to the area. Was this related to possible survivors or to the nuclear activities at Amchitka?
What was the light of December 25?
The tug MONARCH reported a light shining on the horizon on Christmas Day 1964. Were these survivors signalling?
Is it pareidolia?
Could the SOS be a natural formation or an optical illusion? The image analysis suggests that the letters have an artificial relief.
Why were the bodies that were sighted not recovered?
Of the three bodies sighted, only one was recovered. The other two were left on the islet on the grounds of “danger”.
The islet of Ulak
Geographical features
| Location | Delarof Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°20′N 179°05′W (transmitted position; actual wreck site at 51°18.7′N 178°57.8′W per USCG) |
| Distance to Adak | ~175 km in a straight line (Adak naval station) |
| Distance to Amchitka | ~110 km in a straight line (nearest point of the island) |
| Climate | Maritime subarctic, frequent storms |
| Vegetation | Maritime tundra, grasses, lichens |
| Population | Uninhabited |
Wreck site: Hasgar Point
The San Patrick ran aground on the rocks of Hasgar Point, on the coast of the islet.
Evidence of an attempt at survival
The US Coast Guard report of December 1964 documents several findings that prove that the crew tried to reach land:
Line to shore
A line laid out 200 yards inland, firmly secured, running over a 100-ft cliff.
→ The crew tried to establish an escape route from the ship.
Line-throwing gun recovered
An emergency line-throwing gun (shotline missile) was recovered from among the wreckage.
→ They used emergency equipment to lay the line.
Bodies on shore
Three bodies stripped of clothing and covered in grease were sighted on the islet.
→ At least three people reached land (alive or dead).
The mysterious light
On December 25, the tug MONARCH reported a light shining on the horizon.
→ Survivors signalling 8 days later?
The question that remains:
If the crew managed to run a 200-yard line to shore, and at least three people reached the islet...
Why was it assumed there were no survivors without sending a rescue team ashore?
The families’ long-held doubt
“La duda sobre el rescate siempre permaneció en los familiares de los desaparecidos. La negativa USA a permitir el acceso a la zona de una delegación familiar fue el detonante de la desconfianza en la buena voluntad de los rescatadores.”
“The doubt about the rescue always remained with the families of the missing. The U.S. refusal to allow a family delegation access to the area was the trigger for the distrust in the goodwill of the rescuers.”
[Translation from the original Spanish — testimony of the families]
“A día de hoy sigue sin comprenderse que no se recuperaran los cadáveres avistados, que no se acercara a la zona un equipo de salvamento para revisar el interior del buque y las inmediaciones en busca de supervivientes.”
“To this day, it remains beyond understanding that the sighted bodies were not recovered, that no salvage team approached the area to inspect the interior of the vessel and its surroundings in search of survivors.”
[Translation from the original Spanish — testimony of the families]
Attempts to obtain information
Two attempts have been made to communicate with US Coast Guard District 17 to request a copy of the rescue reports, without receiving any response.
How to verify the SOS
Steps to view the SOS on Google Earth:
-
Open Google Earth
Go to earth.google.com or use the desktop application.
-
Enter the coordinates
Type:
51.32019949, -178.981273or search for “Ulak Island, Alaska”. -
Enable historical imagery
Click the clock icon (Historical Imagery) in the toolbar.
-
Select the 1985 image
Use the time slider to go to the 1985 image, the only one available for that year.
-
Zoom into the centre of the islet
Look for the SOS letters in relief near the wreck site.
Investigation in progress
Actions taken
| Action | Recipient | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Request for rescue reports | US Coast Guard District 17 (Juneau, Alaska) | No response |
| Request for TETSUKO MARU documentation | Embassy of Japan in Spain | Pending |
| Access to declassified records | NARA (National Archives) | Preliminary response |
| Expert image analysis of the SOS | Pending identification of expert | Not started |
How you can help
If you have information, documentation or expertise that may contribute to this investigation, please get in touch:
- Email: jjgd@litoarte.com
- Project email: noticias@sanpatrick.eu
We are particularly looking for:
- Documentation of the TETSUKO MARU or its shipping company
- Unpublished US Navy or Coast Guard reports
- Testimony from personnel stationed at Adak in 1964
- Experts in satellite image analysis
- Information about activities in the Aleutian Islands in December 1964
- Historians with access to military archives of the period
- US Coast Guard or US Navy personnel who took part in the 1964 operations
- Any document or testimony related to the wreck