HMNZS Manawanui, sunk
The HMNZS Manawanui (A09), the Royal New Zealand Navy’s specialist dive and hydrographic vessel and the fourth to carry the name hit a reef, caught fire, and sank off Samoa over the weekend, leaving two of her complement hospitalized and 12-15 slightly injured.
The 5,700-ton Norwegian-built vessel was fairly young, constructed in 2003 as the commercial oil field survey vessel MV Edda Fonn, and entered the RNZN in 2019.
Her official portrait via the RNZN:
Via Dave Poole:
As described by the NZ Herald:
The actions of the commander of the HMNZS Manawanui have been credited with saving lives during a nighttime evacuation in heavy seas and winds on a reef near the southern coast of Upolu in Samoa last night.
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.
This is a big blow to the RNZN, not having lost a ship since WWII, and the Samoans, who aren’t loving a 5,700-ton shipwreck on their pristine reefs.