An elderly woman, Suzanne Rees, was discovered deceased on a secluded island after she was inadvertently left behind by a cruise ship while on an excursion on Lizard Island in Queensland, Australia. Ms. Rees, 80, went missing during an organized hike on the island and was not noticed absent until she did not show up for dinner, approximately five hours later. The cruise ship, Coral Adventurer, operated by Coral Expeditions, owned by National Roads and Motorists’ Association (NRMA) in Australia, continued its journey to the next destination without her.
Ms. Rees’ family criticized Coral Expeditions for what they described as a failure in providing care and exercising common sense. The incident occurred during the initial stop of the Coral Adventurer’s 60-day voyage around Australia, a luxury holiday costing around £40,000 per person. An investigation involving multiple agencies will investigate the circumstances leading to Ms. Rees not reboarding the ship, including allegations that a passenger count was not conducted before departure.
Ms. Rees was discovered deceased 50 meters off the hiking trail to Cook’s Look, the highest summit on Lizard Island. The Coral Adventurer had set sail from Cairns on Friday and anchored at Lizard Island on Saturday for passengers to enjoy activities on the island before departing on Sunday afternoon. Following the report of Ms. Rees’ disappearance, a search operation, including a helicopter search, was initiated. The ship returned to shore, and crew members joined the search efforts.
Mark Fifield, the CEO of Coral Expeditions, confirmed the tragic incident, expressing deep regret and offering support to Ms. Rees’ family. Queensland Police, alongside other authorities, are conducting an investigation into the incident. The police have classified the death as sudden and non-suspicious. Tourism Tropical North Queensland extended condolences to the family and stated that further details would be provided as the investigation progresses. A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Authorities are collaborating with Queensland Police to gather more information and support the ongoing investigation, refraining from further comments until the process is completed.