Investigation after woman left behind by cruise ship dies on island
An 80-year-old Australian woman was found dead on a Great Barrier Reef island after being left behind by the cruise ship she was traveling on.
The woman was hiking on Lizard Island, 250 km (155 miles) north of Cairns, with other passengers on the Coral Adventurer cruise ship on Saturday but is believed to have left the group to rest.
The ship left the island around sunset but returned a few hours after the crew realized the woman was missing. A massive search operation found his body on Sunday morning. No details have been released.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) said its investigation is ongoing and will meet with the ship’s crew later this week.
It is understood the woman, whose name has not been released, was on the first stop of a 60-day cruise around Australia, and tickets for the voyage cost tens of thousands of dollars.
He had joined a group hike to Cook’s Look, the island’s highest peak, before deciding to rest, according to the Courier Mail newspaper.
However, he was unable to return to the ship and the ship sailed without him.
Traci Ayris was sailing near the island last weekend and He told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) said he saw a helicopter using a spotlight to search for the walkway on the island around midnight Saturday.
He said about seven people went to the island to search with torches, but the search was called off around 3am on Sunday and a helicopter returned on Sunday morning, where the body was apparently found.
“We knew he was dead because they immediately called everyone back without calling,” he told the ABC.
“And no one went to the spot where the helicopter was sitting until the police arrived later that day.”
A spokesperson for Amsa said that the ship captain first raised the alarm about the missing woman at around 21:00 on Saturday.
The authority said it would work with other relevant agencies to investigate the incident and took the safety of passengers and crew on commercial ships seriously.
Ms Ayris also said the incident was clearly distressing for the crew and passengers.
“It was so sad that this tragedy happened in this paradise. It should have been a happy time for this lovely lady.”
Queensland police said a report into the woman’s “sudden and unsuspicious death” would be prepared for the coroner.
The incident occurred on the first stop of a 60-day trip around Australia. [Coral Expeditions]
Coral Expeditions CEO Mark Fifield said staff had contacted the woman’s family and offered support over the “tragic death”.
Mr Fifield said: “While investigations into the incident are ongoing, we are deeply sorry that this has happened and offer our full support to the woman’s family.” he said.
“We are working closely with Queensland Police and other authorities to support their investigation. We cannot comment further while this process is ongoing,” he added.
According to the company’s website, the Coral Adventurer can accommodate up to 120 guests with 46 crew members. It was built to provide access to remote areas of the Australian coast and was equipped with “tenders”, small boats used to pick up passengers on day trips.
The ship continued its journey towards Darwin.
