An investigation has been launched by police and a coroner following the tragic incident where an 80-year-old woman, who missed a cruise ship during a 60-day journey around Australia, was found dead on a remote island in Far North Queensland.
Authorities are looking into the circumstances surrounding how the woman ended up stranded on the isolated island and are also assessing whether prompt action could have saved her. The woman, who held a ticket estimated at £40,000 for the cruise, was not reported missing until Saturday, long after she was expected to re-board the ship.
The cruise ship had set off from Cairns, Queensland, and anchored at Lizard Island the next day. It is believed that the woman was hiking the summit of Lizard Island before she went missing.
Reports suggest that the woman was part of a group that hiked up to Cook’s Look summit, where she got separated and failed to return to the ship. A source mentioned that the group continued their journey and only realized she was missing after boarding the vessel.
According to sources, there are claims that the woman may have fallen off a cliff. Her disappearance was noticed on Saturday evening when she didn’t return to the cruise ship.
Traci Ayris, a witness onboard a yacht anchored nearby, raised concerns about safety protocols, indicating that headcounts were conducted for snorkelers but not for other guests on the island. She mentioned that the ship departed soon after the last passengers returned from the island.
After a search was initiated at 3 am, a helicopter located the woman’s remains before they were airlifted around 4 pm. Coral Expeditions confirmed the tragic news, stating that they had informed authorities about the missing woman, leading to a search and rescue operation that unfortunately ended with her being found deceased on Lizard Island.
The organization expressed their condolences to the woman’s family and assured that they were cooperating with the Queensland Police throughout the investigation.
