Update on Cruise Ship That Left 80-Year-Old Woman Behind on Island as Family Speaks Out

An 80-year-old cruise passenger has died after being left stranded on a remote island off the coast of Queensland, in what her family has called a heartbreaking “failure of care and common sense.”

Suzanne Rees was on board the Coral Adventurer, a small expedition cruise ship operated by Coral Expeditions, which was in the early days of a 60-day, $52,000 circumnavigation of Australia when tragedy struck.

The ship had stopped at Lizard Island, a scenic spot on the Great Barrier Reef, when Rees joined a group of hikers heading up to the island’s lookout point. According to reports, she began to feel unwell during the trek and was advised to turn back toward the beach. But Rees never made it back on board before the ship departed.

Authorities were alerted later that evening when crew members discovered she was missing. A large-scale search began overnight, involving Queensland Police and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. Sadly, Rees’s body was found the following day. Police have described her death as “sudden and non-suspicious.”

Family Blames Cruise Line for “Failure of Care”

Rees’s daughter, Katherine, has spoken out about the devastating loss, accusing Coral Expeditions of failing in its duty to ensure passengers were safely accounted for before departure.

Speaking to The Australian, Katherine described the events that led to her mother’s death as a “failure of care and common sense.”

“From the little we have been told, it seems there was a failure of care and common sense,” she said. “We understand from police that it was a very hot day and Mum fell ill on the hill climb. She was asked to head down, unescorted. Then the ship left, apparently without doing a passenger count. At some stage in that sequence, or shortly after, Mum died, alone.”

Katherine described her mother as healthy, active, and full of life, saying the family hopes a coronial inquiry will uncover what could have been done to prevent her death.

Witnesses Describe the Cruise Ship’s Quick Departure

Other visitors to Lizard Island have also questioned how the situation was handled.

Tourist Traci Ayris, who spoke to the Cairns Post, told reporters she and her partner were on the island at the same time as Rees and noticed how quickly the Coral Adventurer departed after its guests returned from their excursions.

“They did headcounts for snorkellers, which we heard, but not for other guests on the island, it would seem,” Ayris said. “The last people came down from the track and got into the tender, then the ship left very soon after that. We even commented, ‘Wow, they left fast.’”

Ayris and her partner witnessed the frantic overnight search from the island, including helicopters circling the area at dawn. “We watched the search up the mountain,” she said. “The chopper arrived at first light and went directly to where she was last seen. It hovered, then went straight to the airstrip. We knew it had found her, and the lack of activity told us she was clearly dead.”

Cruise Line Responds to the Tragedy

Coral Expeditions CEO Mark Fifield released a statement expressing condolences to the family, confirming that authorities had been notified of a missing passenger on October 25 and that a search and rescue operation was launched immediately.

“Following the operation, Coral Expeditions was notified by Queensland Police that the woman had been found deceased on Lizard Island,” Fifield said. “While investigations into the incident are continuing, we are deeply sorry that this has occurred and are offering our full support to the woman’s family.”

The company has said it is cooperating fully with police and other authorities during the investigation.

Final Word

The Queensland Police investigation and a forthcoming coronial inquiry will determine whether protocols were followed and if the tragedy could have been prevented. For now, Rees’s family is left with grief and unanswered questions about how an adventure cruise around Australia turned into a heartbreaking loss.

This report was first published by LADbible and includes information from The Australian and The Cairns Post.

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