Passengers aboard a cruise ship that tragically left an elderly woman stranded on a remote island have recounted the distressing events of that day.
Suzanne Rees, 80, disappeared during an organized hike on Lizard Island, part of the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia, which was the Coral Adventurer’s first stop on its 60-day voyage around Australia.
The alarm was raised when Rees failed to show up for dinner, hours after she fell ill on the island. An aerial search by a helicopter eventually discovered her lifeless body near a hiking trail on Lizard Island’s highest peak, Cook’s Look.
The Coral Adventurer had departed from Cairns the day before and had anchored near Lizard Island for passengers to explore the area. Yachtie Traci Ayris and her partner Matthew, on board SV Vellamo, heard distress signals from the cruise ship while near Lizard Island.
According to Ayris, the ship did not conduct a headcount for all passengers on the island before departing, raising concerns about the handling of the situation. The family of Ms. Rees has criticized Coral Expeditions, the company operating the cruise, for what they perceive as a lack of care and responsibility.
An investigation is underway to determine the circumstances that led to Rees being left behind, including allegations that a passenger count was not completed before the ship left.
Coral Expeditions’ CEO, Mark Fifield, expressed condolences to the Rees family and emphasized their cooperation with the investigations. The police are treating the death as sudden and non-suspicious, with an official report to be prepared for the coroner.
The Mirror has reached out to Coral Expeditions for additional comments.