Cruise ship hits reef on first trip since leaving passenger on island
A cruise ship in Papua New Guinea (PNG) ran aground on its maiden voyage following the death of an elderly passenger in late October.
The Coral Adventurer is currently under investigation into the death of 80-year-old Suzanne Rees, who died after being left behind by the ship on a remote Australian island.
On Saturday, the ship experienced a “grounding incident” off the east coast of Papua New Guinea, about 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the city of Lae, a spokesman for the ship said.
All passengers and crew on the cruise ship were reported to be safe, and initial inspections did not detect any damage to the hull. Additional inspections will be carried out on Sunday.
An Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) spokesperson told the BBC that they had not received a distress call from Coral Adventurer.
He added that they are monitoring the situation and will support PNG authorities if necessary.
No decision has been made regarding the 12-day journey, which is planned to end on December 30.
There were 80 passengers and 43 crew members on board at the time of the incident. The 12-day journey was scheduled to end on December 30.
The Coral Adventurer is currently the subject of a joint investigation by AMSA and Queensland Police following the death of passenger Suzanne Rees, 80, who was found dead on Lizard Island on 26 October.
Ms Rees was walking around the island with other passengers but left the group to rest.
The ship sailed without her and returned a few hours after the crew realized she was missing.
The next day a massive search operation found his body.
The ship was just two days into its 60-day voyage when Ms Rees died. The remainder of the trip was canceled with full refunds offered to all passengers.
Mark Fifield, chief executive of Coral Expeditions, said the company was “very sorry that this has happened” and offered its full support to the Rees family.
Fifield added that the cruise operator was “working closely with Queensland Police and other authorities to support their investigations”.
AMSA was unable to comment on the status of the investigation and told the BBC it was “not in the practice of making the results of investigations public”.
