In October 2024, HMNZS Manawanui was conducting hydrographic survey operations off Samoa. The ship ran aground on a reef, caught fire, and later sank. All 75 people aboard were safely evacuated, and there were no fatalities. Commander Gray gave the order to abandon ship, a decision that has been credited with saving lives.
Since then, a military court of inquiry found that human error contributed to the loss of the ship. Preliminary findings reported that the bridge team failed to recognize that the autopilot remained engaged, preventing the ship from responding as intended before it struck the reef.
Commander Gray and two other officers have been charged under New Zealand's Armed Forces Discipline Act. Those charges are allegations at this stage, and they have the right to defend themselves in court. These are the facts: She is openly gay. She commanded HMNZS Manawanui. The ship was lost while under her command.
What has not been established yet is that the ship sank because she was gay or because she was a woman. There is no evidence supporting any of those claims. The official investigations have only focused on navigational and operational errors