Passengers who were near the cruise ship that tragically left a grandmother stranded on a remote island have shared chilling accounts of the unfolding events.
Suzanne Rees, an 80-year-old, disappeared during the Coral Adventurer’s voyage around Australia. She had been part of an organized hike on Lizard Island in Queensland, Australia, but fell ill.
As she remained unwell, the cruise ship departed for its next destination without her. It was only after she missed dinner that her absence was noticed, approximately five hours later.
After an aerial search led by a helicopter, the crew of the 112-passenger vessel returned to shore to assist in the search operation. Ms. Rees’ body was discovered 50 meters off the hiking trail to Cook’s Look, Lizard Island’s highest peak.
The Coral Adventurer had set sail from Cairns on Friday and anchored near Lizard Island on Saturday. Passengers had the opportunity to engage in activities such as hiking and snorkeling on the island, which is situated 90km northeast of Cooktown.
Passengers aboard SV Vellamo, including Traci Ayris and her partner Matthew, heard distress signals from the Coral Expeditions ship while near Lizard Island.
Ayris mentioned that while a headcount was conducted for snorkelers, the same was not done for other guests on the island. The ship departed shortly after the last passengers returned from the hike.
The family of Ms. Rees has criticized Coral Expeditions for what they perceive as a lack of care and common sense. An investigation involving multiple agencies will examine the circumstances surrounding Ms. Rees’ absence, including allegations of a missing passenger count before departure.
Coral Expeditions CEO, Mark Fifield, expressed condolences to the Rees family and emphasized cooperation with official investigations into the incident. Police are treating the death as sudden and non-suspicious, and an investigation is ongoing.
Tourism Tropical North Queensland extended sympathies to the family and mentioned awaiting further details due to the active investigation. A report will be submitted to the coroner.
The Mirror has reached out to Coral Expeditions for additional comments.