The Royal New Zealand Navy’s hydrographic ship, HMNZS Manawanui, sank on 5 October 2024, after grounding on a reef near the southern coast of Upolu, Samoa. The incident occurred while conducting a hydrographic survey about one nautical mile from shore.
All 75 crew members and passengers were safely evacuated into lifeboats and rescued with assistance from local vessels and a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon aircraft. By the following morning, the ship had capsized and sank completely.
The Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral Garin Golding, said the ship ran aground at 6.46pm and tried unsuccessfully to get off the reef. It then began to list and at 7.52pm Commander Yvonne Gray decided to evacuate the ship.
Golding said the 75 people on board, including seven citizens on scientific work and four foreign personnel, got on liferafts and tried to move away from the reef so they could be rescued.
Most of the personnel were evacuated from the life rafts onto rescuing ships. But one small boat capsized on the reef, so the personnel walked to land.
“Evacuating a ship at night is an incredibly complicated and difficult task,” Golding said.
Two people sought hospital treatment – one with a dislocated shoulder and one had a hurt back. Another 12-15 people had minor cuts and abrasions.
Golding praised the leadership of the experienced Gray, saying she made the right call to order the evacuation and would have “saved lives”.
Photo by Trevor Coppock
