A Royal New Zealand Navy vessel, Manawanui, ran aground and sank off Samoa, but all 75 crew and passengers on board were reported safe, according to the New Zealand Defence Force in a statement on Sunday.
The incident occurred near the southern coast of Upolu on Saturday night while the vessel was conducting a reef survey, Commodore Shane Arndell, the maritime component commander of the New Zealand Defence Force, stated.
Several vessels responded to the incident, assisting in the rescue of the crew and passengers who evacuated the ship using lifeboats. A Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon was also deployed to aid in the rescue operations.
The cause of the grounding remains unknown and will require further investigation, the New Zealand Defence Force confirmed.
Local media published videos and photos showing the Manawanui listing heavily with thick grey smoke billowing after it ran aground. The vessel subsequently capsized and was reported to be below the surface by 9 a.m. local time, as per the New Zealand Defence Force.
The agency is “working with authorities to understand the implications and minimise the environmental impacts.”
Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Garin Golding announced at a press conference in Auckland that a plane would depart for Samoa on Sunday to bring the rescued crew and passengers back to New Zealand.
He mentioned that some individuals rescued had sustained minor injuries, including those incurred while walking across a reef.
Defence Minister Judith Collins described the grounding as “really challenging for everybody on board,” expressing that the event would take time to process.
“I look forward to pinpointing the cause so that we can learn from it and avoid a repeat,” she said, highlighting that an immediate focus is on salvaging “what is left” of the vessel.
Rescue operations were coordinated by Samoan emergency services and Australian Defence personnel, with assistance from the New Zealand rescue centre, according to a statement from the Samoa Police, Prison and Corrections Service posted on Facebook. The Manawanui is a specialist vessel used for various diving, salvage, and survey tasks around New Zealand and across the South West Pacific.
Currently, New Zealand’s Navy is operating at reduced capacity, with three of its nine ships idle due to personnel shortages.
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