Featured Image Credit: Family handout
Topics: Cruise Ship, Travel, Australia
Anish Vij
The daughter of an 80-year-old woman who was found deceased after being left behind on a remote island by a commercial cruise ship has hit out at the operator.
Rescue workers came across Suzanne Rees' body on Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef on Sunday (26 October), according to the BBC.
It's understood that the New South Wales woman, who had been hiking on the island with passengers, didn't get back on the Coral Adventurer cruise with them.
As reported by the New York Post, she was left behind at the first stop of the 60-day cruise around Australia, which is said to cost around $52,000 (£39,000).
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Rees' death is being treated as 'sudden and non-suspicious', while her daughter, Katherine Rees, who said she was 'shocked and saddened' that her mum had been left behind, believes there was a 'failure of care'.
She told The Australian: “From the little we have been told, it seems that there was a failure of care and common sense. We understand from the police that it was a very hot day, and Mum fell ill on the hill climb. She was asked to head down, unescorted.
“Then the ship left, apparently without doing a passenger count. At some stage in that sequence, or shortly after, Mum died, alone.
“I hope that the coronial inquiry will find out what the company should have done that might have saved Mum’s life.”
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Queensland Police said Coral Adventurer raised the alarm at 10pm (AEST) and alerted the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's (AMSA) Canberra-based emergency hotline, the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre, on Saturday (25 October).
A rescue helicopter was then launched at 12:45am on Sunday, and her body was found that day.
An ASMA spokesman said they would make an assessment 'as to whether there was any non-compliance associated with the passenger not being counted onto the ship and, if necessary, will take action to address them'.
“We are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding why the passenger may not have been accounted for during boarding,” the spokesman said.
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Coral Expeditions chief executive, Mark Fifield, also said on Tuesday: “On Saturday, 25 October, the crew notified authorities that a woman was missing, and a search and rescue operation was launched on land and sea.
“Following the operation, Coral Expeditions was notified by Queensland police that the woman had been found deceased on Lizard Island.
“While investigations into the incident are continuing, we are deeply sorry that this has occurred and are offering our full support to the woman’s family.
“The Coral team have been in contact with the woman’s family, and we will continue to offer support to them through this difficult process.
“We are working closely with Queensland police and other authorities to support their investigation. We are unable to comment further while this process is under way.”
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LADbible Group has contacted Coral Expeditions for an update.