Why were there no survivors from Monmouth?

Why were no survivors recovered from Monmouth, and did von Spee's ships attempt a rescue?

No survivors were recovered, and it is uncertain whether anyone reached the water. Rough seas and darkness constrained rescue, while the absence of a known search account leaves the German response unresolved.

Monmouth sank without the explosion associated with Good Hope's loss, so some men may have reached the water. They may instead have been trapped below decks, and no survivor's account settles that question. Alex Clarke has not found an account of a German rescue attempt; that is a limit of the evidence available to him, rather than proof that nobody searched. Darkness and rough seas could explain the failure to recover anyone, while his ethical argument is that ships should still attempt a search. British ships later rescued 215 German sailors after the Battle of the Falkland Islands.