HMNZS Manawanui crew to return home tonight

Seventy-five people were rescued from HMNZS Manawanui over the weekend after it grounded on a reef in Samoa and subsequently sank.

The C-130J, which flew to Apia on Sunday evening, was carrying medical and welfare personnel, as well as a dive team and light clean-up equipment.

It is returning tonight to RNZAF Base Auckland with 72 crew and passengers. They will overnight at Defence facilities, have further de-briefings and be re-united with their families tomorrow afternoon. Three passengers from another agency will return to New Zealand tomorrow via a commercial flight.

A second C-130H Hercules aircraft, which took freight to Samoa this morning, is also returning to New Zealand today. 

A Court of Inquiry into the incident is in the process of being set up.

Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral Garin Golding, said the full resources of the New Zealand Defence Force were being made available to support personnel with medical checks, debriefings, psychological support and welfare. Some people had required medical treatment. 

All those who had been on board HMNZS Manawanui had been given food and support, and issued with supplies such as dry clothes, shoes and toiletries while they were accommodated in Apia. 

Rear Admiral Golding said the New Zealand response was focused on supporting the Samoan Government to understand possible environmental impacts from the incident and reduce those as much as possible, with teams from across multiple agencies involved. 

“There are assessment teams with specialist skills from a range of agencies who are supporting this response.”

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