A Royal New Zealand Navy vessel, the Manawanui, a specialist dive and hydrographic vessel, ran aground and sank off the coast of Samoa on Sunday. The incident occurred near the southern coast of Upolu while the vessel was conducting a reef survey.
Despite the tragic sinking, all 75 crew and passengers were safely rescued. Commodore Shane Arndell, the maritime component commander of the New Zealand Defence Force, confirmed their safety in a statement released following the incident.
However, the sinking has raised concerns about a potential oil spill. Samoa’s acting Prime Minister, Tuala Tevaga Iosefo Ponifasio, described an oil spill as “highly probable.” Authorities in Samoa are now conducting an environmental impact assessment in the area to assess the potential damage.
Multiple vessels responded to the distress call and assisted in the rescue operation. The passengers were safely evacuated onto lifeboats. A Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon was also deployed to assist in the rescue effort.
The cause of the grounding is still unknown. The New Zealand Defence Force has initiated an investigation into the incident. The Manawanui, built in 2018 at a cost of NZ$103 million, capsized and sank below the surface by 9 am local time.
The New Zealand Defence Force is “working with authorities to understand the implications and minimise the environmental impacts” of the sinking. The US Ambassador to New Zealand, Tom Udall, praised the heroic rescue efforts and expressed condolences to the crew and first responders on Twitter.
Chief of Navy Rear Adm Garin Golding announced at a press conference in Auckland that a plane would be dispatched to Samoa to bring the rescued crew and passengers back to New Zealand. He noted that some of the passengers sustained minor injuries from walking across a reef.
Defence Minister Judith Collins acknowledged the challenging nature of the incident for those onboard. She emphasized the need to pinpoint the cause of the grounding to prevent similar incidents in the future and expressed a focus on salvaging “what is left” of the vessel.
