New Zealand's Defence Minister, Judith Collins, has condemned the “vile” and “misogynistic” remarks directed at Commander Yvonne Gray, a female navy captain of a navy ship that ran aground, caught fire, and sank off the coast of Samoa. The vessel, a specialist dive and hydrographic ship sank after running aground on a reef near Upolu, Samoa’s most populous island. All 75 people aboard, including civilian scientists and foreign military personnel, were safely evacuated, with only minor injuries reported.
Commander Gray, with 30 years of naval experience, faced criticism from online commenters who questioned her abilities based solely on her gender. Collins called these remarks “vile” and “misogynistic,” and expressed her frustration, saying, "Seriously, it's 2024. What the hell's going on here?" She urged people to stop making such offensive comments and emphasized that the ship’s sinking had nothing to do with the captain being a woman. Collins made it clear that Gray’s priority during the incident was ensuring the safety of her crew.
The minister also noted that women in the New Zealand military had been verbally abused in public since the ship's sinking. She mentioned one offensive comment from a truck driver in Melbourne, who criticized Gray’s leadership. Collins responded sharply, saying the driver should stick to commenting on truck driving rather than naval operations. She promised to continue calling out this behavior until it stops.
The ship, a specialized dive and hydrographic vessel ran aground on a reef off the coast of Upolu, one of Samoa’s most populated islands. The cause of the accident is still unclear, but there are concerns about a potential fuel spill. Officials noted that the ship was leaking oil in three spots, but the leaks were decreasing each day and dispersing due to strong winds. Most of the ship's fuel had burned during a fire, reducing the risk of a large spill.
Efforts are now focused on safely removing the ship’s anchor and three containers from the reef without causing further damage to the surrounding marine environment. A military court of inquiry has been ordered to investigate the incident, and senior military officers will lead the inquiry, which begins Friday.
The ship has been serving New Zealand since 2019 after being bought from Norway for 100 million New Zealand dollars (USD 61 million). At 20 years old, it was not insured for replacement. This incident has raised concerns about New Zealand’s aging navy, as only five of the eight remaining ships are currently operational due to staffing and maintenance problems.
(This article is a reworked version of a PTI feed)
