Passengers aboard a cruise ship that tragically left an elderly woman stranded on a remote island have recounted the distressing sequence of events that transpired. Suzanne Rees, an 80-year-old tourist, went missing during an organized hike on Lizard Island in the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland, Australia, the initial stop on the Coral Adventurer’s 60-day voyage around Australia.
Ms. Rees fell ill during the hike and was left behind as the cruise ship continued to its next destination without her knowledge. Her disappearance was only noticed when she failed to show up for dinner, approximately five hours after she vanished. A search operation, including a helicopter scan, was conducted, leading to the discovery of Ms. Rees’ body 50 meters off the hiking trail on Sunday.
The Coral Adventurer had departed from Cairns the day before and had anchored near Lizard Island for passengers to explore the island. Witnesses aboard a nearby yacht reported hearing distress signals from the cruise ship and observed the departure shortly after the last passengers returned from shore.
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, involving multiple agencies, will investigate the circumstances surrounding Ms. Rees’ abandonment and the alleged failure to conduct a passenger count before departure.
Coral Expeditions’ CEO, Mark Fifield, expressed condolences to the Rees family and emphasized cooperation with official investigations. The police are treating the incident as a non-suspicious death, with further details pending the completion of the investigation. Tourism Tropical North Queensland extended sympathies to the family, and a coroner’s report will be prepared.
The Mirror has reached out to Coral Expeditions for additional comments on the incident.
