Heavy seas and strong winds made the rescue of the 75 people on board a stricken Royal NZ Navy vessel this morning “particularly challenging”, the Defence Force said.
The HMNZS Manawanui, a specialist dive and hydrographic vessel worth $100m, sank this morning after it ran aground on a reef off the coast of the Samoan island of Upolu and caught fire last night.
It was conducting a survey around one nautical mile offshore when it hit the reef.
Seven civilians and four military personnel from foreign forces were among the 75 on board.
Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral Garin Golding, said the decision of Captain Yvonne Gray to abandon ship was the “right decision” and would have “saved lives”.
“I would also like to acknowledge all those involved on how they handled this challenging situation, evacuating a ship at night is an incredibly complex and dangerous task.”
One of the life boats capsized on the reef during the rescue, he added, with those on board walking to land.
Golding said that two on board were taken to hospital, one with a dislocated shoulder and another with an injury to their back. Around 12 to 15 others received minor cuts and abrasions from walking across the reef.
He said losing one of the Navy’s five crewed ships, the first to be lost in peacetime, was “significant”.
Defence Minister Judith Collins said it was a “sad day” for the Navy to lose a ship but that the fact no one lost their lives was a “triumph”.
The HMNZS Manawanui ran aground, caught fire and capsized off the coast of the Samoan island of Upolu overnight. (Source: 1News)
“This could have been a truly terrible day.”
She said a Court of Inquiry would be launched into the incident and that it was important not to speculate what caused it.
“The immediate focus right now is on mitigating the environmental impacts and salvaging what is left of the Manawanui.”