80-year-old woman dies after cruise ship left her on remote island.
An 80-year-old woman was discovered deceased after being abandoned by a cruise ship on a remote island.
As reported by The Guardian, Suzanne Rees from New South Wales had participated in a hiking group on the island with other passengers. However, when it was time to return to the Coral Adventurer cruise, she was not among those boarding.
Lizard Island, located on the Great Barrier Reef, was the initial stop on the 60-day cruise around Australia. The Guardian mentions that balcony room tickets for the cruise cost approximately $86,400 per person.
Although Rees’ death is being classified as ‘sudden and non-suspicious’, her family believes that the cruise company neglected their duty of care. Rees’ daughter, Katherine, expressed her shock and sadness over her mother being left behind, recounting the circumstances that led to this tragedy.
In an interview with The Australian, Katherine stated: “From the little we have been informed, it appears there was a lack of care and common sense. We learned from the police that it was an extremely hot day, and Mum became ill during the hill climb. She was instructed to descend without an escort.
“Then the ship departed, seemingly without conducting a passenger count. At some point during that process, or shortly thereafter, Mum passed away, alone.
“I sincerely hope the coronial inquiry uncovers what actions the company could have taken to potentially save Mum’s life.”
According to Queensland Police, the Coral Adventurer, a 306-foot vessel designed to carry 120 passengers and 48 crew members, raised the alarm regarding Rees’ disappearance on Saturday, October 25.
A rescue helicopter was dispatched at 12:45 a.m. the next morning, and Rees’ body was discovered later that day, October 26.
“We are currently looking into the circumstances that led to the passenger not being accounted for during the boarding process,” stated a representative from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s emergency hotline.
In a statement released earlier this week, Mark Fifield, the chief executive of Coral Expeditions, expressed his condolences regarding the “tragic death of a passenger on the Coral Adventurer during an excursion to Lizard Island.”
“A search and rescue operation was initiated both on land and at sea,” he mentioned. “After the operation, Coral Expeditions was informed by Queensland police that the woman had been found deceased on Lizard Island.
“While investigations into the incident are ongoing, we are profoundly sorry for this occurrence and are providing our complete support to the woman’s family.”