Coral Adventurer under investigation after 80-year-old woman found dead on Lizard Island hike
New allegations have emerged about staff shortages and alleged security lapses on board a luxury cruise ship following the death of a Sydney grandmother during a trip to the Great Barrier Reef, authorities said.
The Coral Adventurer was met by Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) inspectors in Cairns on Tuesday after the ship arrived off the coast of Yorkeys Knob following the death of 80-year-old passenger Suzanne Rees.
AMSA officers wearing high-visibility clothing were seen tendering their way to the ship at around 9.30am, while another man was reportedly ferried to the ship on Wednesday, the Courier-Mail reported.
Police and AMSA are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death on October 25 of Ms Rees, who became separated from her tour group during a walk on Lizard Island.
The ship left Coconut Bay without him at 3:40 pm, and the crew only realized he was missing when he did not show up for dinner.
The alarm was sounded about five hours later at around 10 p.m.
Believing he may have fallen overboard, the Coral Adventurer returned and search parties scoured the island with torchlight.
His body was found about 50 meters from the road at first light on Sunday.
Witnesses moored nearby described the incident as extremely distressing.
Traci Aryis, who was on the yacht SV Vellamo at the time, said she heard the ship’s crew sounding “particularly upset” over emergency radio transmissions.
“I heard on the radio two Coral Adventurer staff members sounding particularly upset, they were in the search party,” Ms Aryis told The Courier Mail.
Ms Rees’ body was found following an extensive search after the number of abductees led to them remaining on the island.
Coral Expeditions canceled the remainder of the 60-day cruise on Saturday due to mechanical issues and the “tragic” loss of a guest.
The company confirmed it was cooperating with authorities but declined to identify the representative who boarded the ship this week or comment on the progress of the investigation.
Explosive claims from an alleged insider claim the ship’s departure was delayed by a week due to engine problems, leaving the crew “understaffed” and struggling to safely manage passenger excursions.
They claimed the usual triple check of passenger lists was rushed and Ms Rees was kidnapped after falling ill.
They said the incident had left staff “shaken”.
An AMSA spokesman confirmed that authorities had instructed Coral Adventurer to stop taking new passengers until further notice.
“The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has issued a notice to the captain of the Coral Adventurer vessel prohibiting new passengers from boarding the ship,” the spokesman said.
A Coral Expeditions spokesperson denied the staffing allegations.
“Staffing levels on the Coral Adventurer and Lizard Island trek were fully consistent with previous cruises and compliant with regulatory and operational requirements,” the company said.
Gareth Phillips, chief executive of the Marine Park Tourism Operators Association, said the operator had a strong safety record and described the operator as a “highly respected business” in the industry.
“Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences go out to the family and everyone affected. Safety has always been and will remain our number one priority,” Mr Phillips said.
Queensland Tourism Minister Andrew Powell said he had requested a briefing from the Police Minister as investigations progressed.
“It is important that police have time to conduct a full investigation into the circumstances of the incident while preparing a report for the coroner,” Mr Powell said.
