New Zealand’s Defence Minister has all but resigned herself to losing a $100m Navy ship which struck a reef, burned, then sank while the 75 on board made a daring escape in strong currents and waves off Samoa.
“This is a ship that, unfortunately, is pretty much gone,” Defence Minister Judith Collins told a press conference on Sunday, the night after HMNZS Manawanui commander Yvonne Gray issued an abandon ship order after the vessel hit a reef.
"This could have been a truly terrible day," if there had been loss of life, Collins said. "But actually it is a bad day."
The cause of the incident will go to a court of inquiry but Gray’s call is being credited by Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral Garin Golding, as a life-saving decision.
“She made the decision and it was the right decision.”
Currents and winds that were pushing HMNZS Manawanui’s life rafts towards a reef made the rescue of the 75 on board “challenging”, the Defence Force says.
Swells made the rescue “particularly tricky”, it said.
Golding said losing one of the Navy's five crewed ships was a "significant loss".
Seven civilians and four military personnel from other forces were among the 75 people on board the vessel.
Golding said two on board were taken to hospital. One had a dislocated shoulder and another hurt their back. Twelve or 15 suffered minor cuts and abrasions after walking on a reef, he said.
One of the lifeboats capsized on the reef, Golding said. The weather was "extremely challenging" and when people were being rescued from the life rafts one flipped. Those inside had to walk to land.
The ship was listing heavily at 6.40am on Sunday and it capsized and sank about 9am.
“There’s concerns of oil spills with top officials from key agencies in Samoa monitoring the situation,” Samoa Observer reporter Sialai Sarafina Sanerivi told The Post .
Collins said Maritime NZ had "quite the kit" for oil spills and would be made available to Samoa if needed.
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- Navy vessel capsizes off Samoa after fire, NZDF confirms
When it was commissioned by New Zealand in 2019, the Manawanui was described as a “game changer” by then-Defence Minister Ron Mark. It was bought second-hand from Norway.
The Navy dive and survey vessel ran aground while surveying a reef south of Samoa late on Saturday.
A social media post from the Samoa Fire and Emergency Services Authority said its local fire rescue team had worked overnight on the rescue.
“Fortunately, no one was heavily injured and no lives were lost. We're proud to say WE SAVED THEM,” the post said.
Mark was puzzled to understand what happened because the ship was “top of the line” in terms of its capabilities.
“It's confusing how she's in this situation right now,” he said.
“She’s a hydrographic ship. She has some of the best equipment on board for surveying the sea floor.
“I’m keenly interested to know what brought the circumstances out.”
Labour Defence spokesperson Peeni Henare did not know if the vessel was leaking oil but said the issue was a “huge concern”.
“This is a devastating event,” he said. “I’m confident New Zealand and fellow partners will be working around the clock to respond appropriately and support Samoa during this tough time.”
“If the ship isn’t insured then that is a serious problem for the NZDF.”
He said, going forward, time would be crucial as the government looked at the clean up and the potential impact on the environment.
“With CHOGM [Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting] later this month, the response will be watched keenly by observers around the world.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Samoan authorities were supporting the crew and passengers from Manawanui and they are being accommodated in Samoa.
An NZDF aircraft will fly to Samoa to bring them back to New Zealand.
This was HMNZS Manawanui’s third deployment to the South West Pacific this year. The ship had a series of activities scheduled including in the Kermadec Islands, Samoa, Tokelau and Niue. It sailed from Devonport on September 28 and was due to return home on November 1.
Relieved family members took to Facebook to send their thanks to rescuers. “Thank you so much for all your rescue efforts, especially in the dark, my son was on the the ship, we've been up all night worried about him and his shipmates,” said one crew member’s parent.
Now the concern in Samoa is for the potential of an oil spill.
