An elderly woman, identified as Suzanne Rees, was discovered deceased on a secluded island after being inadvertently left behind by a cruise ship. The 80-year-old tourist went missing on Lizard Island in Queensland, Australia, during an organized hike. It wasn’t until she failed to show up for dinner that her disappearance was noticed, approximately five hours later. The cruise ship, part of a 60-day voyage operated by Coral Expeditions, owned by the National Roads and Motorists’ Association (NRMA) in Australia, departed for its next destination while Ms. Rees was still on the island.
Ms. Rees’ family criticized Coral Expeditions for what they described as a lack of proper care and judgment in handling the situation. The incident occurred at the beginning of the Coral Adventurer’s journey around Australia, a high-end holiday costing £40,000 per person. An investigation involving multiple agencies will delve into the circumstances surrounding Ms. Rees’ failure to reboard the ship, including allegations of a lack of passenger count before departure.
Ms. Rees was found deceased 50 meters from the hiking trail leading to Cook’s Look, the highest summit on Lizard Island. The Coral Adventurer had only set sail from Cairns on Friday afternoon for the excursion. The ship had anchored at Lizard Island on Saturday, allowing passengers to disembark for activities on the island before departing the next day around 1 pm.
Following Ms. Rees’ disappearance, a helicopter search was conducted above Lizard Island, and the ship reportedly returned to assist in the search efforts. Mark Fifield, the CEO of Coral Expeditions, confirmed the tragic discovery, expressing regret over the incident and assuring full cooperation with authorities and support for Ms. Rees’ family during the investigation process.
Authorities, including the police, are treating the death as sudden and non-suspicious, with an ongoing inquiry. Tourism Tropical North Queensland conveyed condolences to the family and mentioned awaiting further information due to the active investigation. A comprehensive report will be compiled for the coroner’s review.