On Saturday 5th October, 2024 the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) Hydrographic Survey & Diving Support Vessel HMNZS MANAWANUI A 09 sank after she grounded on a reef, caught fire and sank with all compliment as 75 souls including crew and scientists were rescued safely in lifeboats off Samoa.
Samoa fire commissioner Tanuvasa Petone said the ship caught fire and sank on Sunday morning after a successful rescue. Three on board needed hospital treatment, he said. “They’re all on land. They are safe and sound apart from just a few individuals that… have some minor injuries, and so we treated them at the site and transferred to them to the hospital.”
Petone said the conditions were “quite rough and windy”.
A local Samoan who saw the HMNZS MANAWANUI sailing dangerously close to the reef as she ran aground, said he wondered why she was so close in the first place. There’s no reason to be that close to the reef, not with the amount of swells that was around.” He was worried about the environmental impacts of the ship hitting the reef, and hoped there was no oil spilling out of it.
As a ship she arrived in New Zealand during May 2019 after a 46 day voyage from Norway. She was owned and operated by the Haugesund based company Østensjø Rederi and was built by Myklebust Verft with the hull built at Severin, Romania as EDDA FONN.
EDDA FONN off Valletta, Malta for a crew change back to February, 2004.
To meet RNZN’s needs for rebuilding and adaptations of EDDA FONN she spent some weeks undergoing conversion in Frederikshavn, Denmark by Orskov Yard A/S from 1st February to 20th march, 2019. She was outfitted with dive-, ROV- and hydrographic systems. Her bright colors have been replaced by the Navy’s grey paint.
More than 78 tons steel was fabricated and installed during this project. Besides the conversion, she did also undergo a thorough cleaning of bottom hull, including dismantling of equipment to clean narrow and hidden spaces, for approval of marine biologist, to prevent any biological organisms to enter New Zealand waters.
From the Devonport Naval Base, Defence Minister Judith Collins said it was “a very sad day for the Navy”.
My thoughts this morning are with the officers, crew, and passengers on the HMNZS Manawanui. Many thanks to the Samoan people for their brave assistance.
Our families will be shocked at what happened, but grateful for the successful rescue.
I will be joined by Chief of Navy for a…— Judith Collins (@JudithCollinsMP) October 5, 2024
She said there will be a Court of Inquiry to establish exactly what had happened, but the reason for the grounding was unknown, and it was too early to speculate. Her immediate focus was on mitigating environment impacts and salvaging what was left of the HMNZS MANAWANUI if possible, she added.
Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral Garin Golding said two people had been hospitalised, one with a dislocated shoulder, and another who had hurt their back. A further 12-15 had minor cuts and abrasions, and sore body parts.
Meanwhile she had a female Commanding Officer Yvonne Gray, an English Born teacher who moved to New Zealand in 2012 after falling in love with the country on a campervan tour and joined the Navy. She took the helm in December 2022.
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