🔗 Share this article

A 60-day journey through the Australian Coast has been cancelled days after the death of an elderly female passenger who was stranded by the vessel on a remote island.

Suzanne Rees had been walking on the remote island with fellow passengers from the Coral Adventurer, but parted ways from the group for a rest. The liner left without her and returned later that day after the personnel discovered the woman was unaccounted for.

A major search operation discovered her body the next day.

Officials are looking into the tragedy, in coordination with investigators and the official investigator.

Head of the cruise operator stated that travelers and crew on the Coral Adventurer were informed that the rest of the journey had been called off due to the "unfortunate death and prior mechanical issues".

In a statement, he mentioned that guests would be provided a full refund, and said the operator was working "to arrange the homeward trips of the travelers via private aircraft".

Regulatory bodies also released an revised statement, and said they had "delivered a notice to the Master" preventing any further travelers from getting on the liner.

The official said that they would visit the vessel in the port city upon its return.

Chronology of Events

The ship originally sailed from Cairns on October 24th, and was merely two days into the expedition at the point of the 80-year-old's demise. The tropical location was the initial destination on the voyage.

Guests on the vessel - who typically pay tens of thousands of money to join the cruise - were transported there for a shore visit with the choice of trekking or underwater exploration.

Next of Kin Statement

The daughter of the deceased woman said that her family was "surprised and grieved that the vessel left Lizard Island after an scheduled excursion without my parent".

Via her announcement, she characterized her parent as an "vigorous elderly person" who was a member of a walking organization.

"From the little facts we have been provided, it seems that there was a failure of attention and common sense," she said.

She added that she wished the examination would be able to identify what "the organization should have performed that might have protected Mum's being".

"We understand from the authorities that it was a very hot afternoon, and she took sick on the uphill trek," she explained.

"They requested her to go back, alone. Then the ship sailed away, seemingly without doing a roll call.

"At a certain moment in that process, or not long after, mum passed away, without company."

Operator Position

Via official communication, the Head confirmed that the organization was "collaborating extensively with investigators to aid their investigation".

He said that the company was "very regretful that this has happened" and had provided its complete assistance to the loved ones.

Maritime Business Procedures

The vessel accommodates up to one hundred twenty passengers with nearly fifty personnel, according to company details. It was specifically designed to enter isolated locations of the nation's coastline and is fitted with "auxiliary vessels" - small boats used to transport passengers on shore trips.

Incidents such as this are infrequent, and passenger vessels have systems to track which individuals are embarking or getting off, according to maritime specialists.

"Going ashore secretly or [back] aboard just isn't an possibility," a specialist stated.

Cruise lines take these methods with great importance and have "advanced technology in place to prevent such occurrences from taking place," the specialist added.

"This is probably a shocking - and tragic - single occurrence."