‘Increasingly apparent’: Coral Adventurer cruise cancelled after Suzanne Rees’ death on Lizard Island
A 60-day luxury cruise around Australia has been canceled following the death of an elderly woman left behind on a remote island.
Suzanne Rees was left behind on Lizard Island in the Great Barrier Reef after taking a break while hiking with a group of passengers from the Coral Adventurer cruise ship.
The ship sailed without him and returned a few hours later when the crew realized he was missing.
The Sydney woman’s body was not found until a major search operation the next day.
Coral Expeditions CEO Mark Fifield confirmed on Saturday that passengers and crew were notified that the cruise was cancelled.
“On Wednesday evening, Coral Expeditions notified passengers and crew aboard the Coral Adventurer that following the tragic death of Suzanne Rees and previous mechanical issues, the decision had been made to cancel the remainder of the voyage,” it said.
“Since then, our team has worked to coordinate return journeys for passengers, as well as the crew and ship, via charter flights.”
Mr Fifield said passengers would be given full refunds.
“The Coral team prides itself on delivering high-quality experiences to our guests,” he said.
“Given the circumstances of the past week, it has become increasingly clear that we will not be able to deliver on this promise.”
In a separate statement on Saturday, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) reportedly said it had issued a notice to the ship’s captain “prohibiting new passengers from boarding”.
The safety authority said it was his understanding that Coral Adventurer would return to Cairns where AMSA staff would meet him.
AMSA is investigating why Ms Rees may not have been taken into account during boarding.
The Coral Adventurer was just two days into its journey, leaving Cairns on October 24th and then arriving at its first stop, Lizard Island.
Suzanne Rees’ daughter, Katherine Rees, said in a statement on Thursday that her family was “shocked and saddened that the Coral Adventurer left Lizard Island after an organized trip without my mother.”
“From what we’ve been told, there seems to be a lack of care and common sense.”
Ms Rees’ daughter described her mother as “an active 80-year-old man”.
Mr Fifield said earlier this week that Coral Expeditions was “very sorry that this has happened” and had offered support to the Rees family.
He also confirmed that the company was “working closely” with police and other authorities investigating the death.
