Passengers who were near the cruise ship where a grandmother was tragically left behind on a remote island have shared chilling details of the unfolding events.
Suzanne Rees, 80, disappeared during the Coral Adventurer’s journey to circle Australia for 60 days. She had been part of an organized hike on Lizard Island in the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia, but became ill.
While she was unwell, the cruise ship departed for its next destination without her knowledge. Her absence was only noticed when she didn’t show up for dinner, approximately five hours after she went missing.
After a helicopter search over Lizard Island, the 112-passenger vessel returned to shore with crew members who assisted in the search. Ms. Rees’ body was found 50 meters off the hiking trail leading to Cook’s Look, the highest peak on Lizard Island.
Coral Adventurer had left Cairns on Friday and anchored near Lizard Island on Saturday. Passengers had the opportunity to explore the island on a smaller boat for activities like hiking and snorkeling.
Passengers onboard SV Vellamo, including Traci Ayris and her partner Matthew, heard distress signals from Coral Expeditions’ ship while anchored near Lizard Island.
The family of Ms. Rees criticized Coral Expeditions, owned by Australia’s National Roads and Motorists’ Association (NRMA), for what they called a lack of care and common sense during the incident. The cruise costs passengers £40,000 per person for the 60-day journey.
An investigation involving multiple agencies will examine the circumstances surrounding Ms. Rees’ abandonment, including allegations of a lack of passenger count before the ship’s departure.
Mark Fifield, CEO of Coral Expeditions, confirmed the tragic discovery and expressed condolences to the family. He mentioned that a search and rescue operation was conducted upon realizing Ms. Rees was missing and that support was being provided to her family.
Authorities are treating Ms. Rees’ death as sudden and non-suspicious. Tourism Tropical North Queensland extended sympathies to her family and stated they are awaiting further information due to the ongoing investigation.
Coral Expeditions has been contacted for additional comments by the Mirror.
