New Zealand Navy ship sinks off Samoa

A Royal New Zealand Navy vessel ran aground and sank off Samoa but all 75 crew and passengers on board were safe, the New Zealand Defense Force said in a statement on Sunday.

WELLINGTON — A Royal New Zealand Navy vessel ran aground and sank off Samoa but all 75 crew and passengers on board were safe, the New Zealand Defense Force said in a statement on Sunday.

Manawanui, the navy's specialist dive and hydrographic vessel, ran aground near the southern coast of Upolu on Saturday night as it was conducting a reef survey, Commodore Shane Arndell, the maritime component commander of the New Zealand Defense Force, said in a statement.

Several vessels responded and assisted in rescuing the crew and passengers who had left the ship in lifeboats, Arndell said.

A Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon was also deployed to assist in the rescue.

The cause of the grounding was unknown and would need further investigation, New Zealand Defense Force said.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/new-zealand-navy-ship-sinks-samoa-rcna174223

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