The family of an 81-year-old Australian woman is demanding answers after she was reportedly left behind on an island during a cruise and later found dead.
It reportedly took several hours before anyone on board realised she was missing and raised the alarm.
Source: 9News
According to The Queenslander, the woman, identified as Suzanne Rees, was found the next day on Lizard Island, part of the Great Barrier Reef in far north Queensland.
Madam Rees’ death occurred just two days into her 60-day voyage on Coral Expeditions’ Coral Adventurer.
Source: Coral Expeditions on Facebook, for illustration purposes only
On 25 Oct, she disembarked to join a guided hike up Cook’s Look, a steep 4km trail on Lizard Island, where temperatures neared 30°C.
Her daughter, Katherine Rees, said staff had asked her mother to turn back after she became unwell during the climb.
“We understand from the police that it was a very hot day, and mum felt ill on the hill climb,” she said. “She was asked to head down, unescorted.”
However, Madam Rees never made it back to the ship.
7NEWS reports that the Coral Adventurer left the island at about 3.40pm, apparently without conducting a passenger head count.
Her absence was only noticed when she did not appear for dinner around 6pm, prompting the crew to return to the island at about 8.40pm.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) was contacted later that night, and a search by land and air was launched.
Source: 7NEWS
Madam Rees was found the following morning, about 50m off a walking track.
The tragedy has left Madam Rees’ family distraught and calling for accountability.
“From the little we have been told, it seems that there was a failure of care and common sense,” her daughter said.
She added that the family has requested a coronial inquiry to determine what went wrong and whether her mother’s death could have been prevented.
Katherine described her mother as a healthy and active 81-year-old who loved gardening and was part of a bushwalking group.
Coral Expeditions chief executive Mark Fifield has expressed condolences to the family, saying the company is fully cooperating with authorities.
“We are deeply sorry that this has occurred and are offering our full support to the woman’s family,” he said in a statement.
Investigations are ongoing by Queensland Police, AMSA, and the state coroner.
In an update on Sunday (2 Nov), Coral Expeditions announced that it had cancelled the remainder of the voyage, citing both the tragedy and earlier mechanical issues.
Passengers and crew are being flown home on chartered flights, and full refunds will be issued.
Also read: Disney Adventure cruise postponed by 3 months, affected guests offered refunds & rebooking options
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Featured image adapted from Coral Expeditions on Facebook and 9News.