An elderly woman, identified as Suzanne Rees, was discovered deceased on a secluded island after being inadvertently left behind by a cruise ship. The 80-year-old was reported missing when she did not show up for dinner, five hours after she went missing on Lizard Island in Queensland, Australia. Suzanne, a solo traveler, fell ill during an organized hike on the island while the cruise ship departed for its next destination.
Family members of Ms. Rees criticized Coral Expeditions, a company owned by the National Roads and Motorists’ Association (NRMA) in Australia, for what they termed as a lack of care and judgment. The incident occurred during the initial stop of the Coral Adventurer’s 60-day voyage around Australia, a luxury holiday costing approximately £40,000 per person. An investigation involving multiple agencies will examine the circumstances surrounding Ms. Rees’ absence from the ship, including allegations that a passenger count was not conducted before the vessel departed.
Ms. Rees’s body was found 50 meters off the hiking trail leading to Cook’s Look, the highest summit on Lizard Island. The Coral Adventurer had set sail from Cairns on Friday and anchored at Lizard Island on Saturday, allowing passengers to engage in activities such as hiking and snorkeling on the island resort. The ship departed on Sunday around 1pm, prompting a search operation after Ms. Rees was reported missing, with a helicopter conducting an aerial search over Lizard Island.
Coral Expeditions’ CEO, Mark Fifield, confirmed the tragic incident to the media, expressing regret over the situation and offering condolences to Ms. Rees’ family. The company is cooperating with authorities to investigate the matter further. Queensland Police are treating the death as sudden and non-suspicious, with a report being prepared for the coroner. Additionally, Tourism Tropical North Queensland extended sympathies to the family and stated that further information is awaited due to the ongoing investigation.