An elderly woman has been found dead on a deserted island in Australia after being left behind by a cruise ship.
The body of the 80-year-old was discovered on Sunday (26 October) morning after crew members on the Coral Adventurer realised she was missing.
She was among the dozens of passengers onboard the cruise ship, which can accommodate up to 120 guests and 46 crew members, which docked at Lizard Island on Saturday.
Reports claim that the vessel was making its first stop on a 60-day voyage across Australia, which is said to have cost tens of thousands of dollars to book onto.
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Tourists headed off for hikes around the island, which is situated on the Great Barrier Reef and it is believed that the woman, who hails from Australia, may have split off from the group to take a break, the BBC reports.
Holidaymakers were reportedly making their way to the island's highest peak, Cook's Lock, when the pensioner decided to have a rest.
The Coral Adventurer then set sail again at sunset, between 6pm and 7pm, without the 80-year-old onboard.
The captain raised the alarm at around 9pm on Saturday, according to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), after the crew realised they were missing a passenger.
A number of skippers who were moored in the area have told how they heard a helicopter whizzing overhead at around midnight on Saturday.
Rob Siganto, who owns the South Pacific II fishing and charter boat, told ABC he heard chatter on his radio about a search for someone whose 'last known location was halfway up the hill'.
He explained that he heard the helicopter announce that the crew had been unable to find anything, needed to refuel and had to return to Cairns, which is 155 miles north of the island.
Fellow sailor Traci Ayris said she had also saw the chopper using a spotlight to illuminate a walking trail on Lizard Island during the night.
She recalled how the Coral Adventurer ship had returned too by the early hours, before several people 'with torches' disembarked and 'searched until about 3am'.
When the helicopter returned a few hours later in daylight, Ayris said the 80-year-old's body was located 'right away', but was not recovered until later on.
"We knew she was dead because they called everyone back from the search immediately," Ayris said. "And no one went to the spot that the chopper was hovering over until later that day when the police arrived.
"It was very sad in this paradise to have this tragedy occur. It should have been a happy time for that lovely lady.
"We all felt so much for the Lizard Island Resort crew and the crews from [the] ships. You could hear the devastation in their voices [on the radio]."
Coral Expeditions chief executive, Mark Fifield, offered the woman's family his condolences in wake of her 'tragic death'.
"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," he said in a statement.
"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."
A report into the 'sudden and non-suspicious death' of the 80-year-old will be prepared for the coroner, cops said.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for AMSA said investigators would meet the Coral Adventurer at it's next destination, Darwin, to continue its probe.
"AMSA is currently liaising and working with other relevant agencies on this matter," the spokesperson said. "AMSA takes the safety of passengers and crew onboard commercial vessels seriously."
Topics: World News, Australia, Cruise Ship, Travel
Olivia Burke