Suzanne Rees, 80, was left behind by her cruise on a remote island after falling ill on a hike – she was later found dead, and the voyage has now been cancelled
Suzanne Rees died after a cruise ship left without her(Image: Facebook)
A cruise which left a grandma on a remote deserted island before she was found dead has been cancelled.
Suzanne Rees, 80, was reported missing when she failed to arrive for dinner after visiting Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. The grandma was later found dead on the island, which was the first stop of the £40,000-a-ticket 60-day circumnavigation of Australia.
Passengers were told on Wednesday that the remainder of the voyage was cancelled following the “tragic passing of Suzanne Rees and previous mechanical issues”, the CEO of the cruise operator Coral Expeditions, Mark Fifield, said on Saturday.
The 80-year-old had been on a £40,000-a-ticket 60-day cruise(Image: AP)READ MORE: ‘I sailed near cruise that left tourist to die on island – one thing startled me’READ MORE: Disney Cruise ship horror as five-year-old girl falls overboard while posing for photo
The solo tourist had been on an organised hike with other travellers but separated from the rest of the group when she fell ill. Her daughter, Katherine Rees, said the 80-year-old was asked to hike back down the mountain on her own, but the cruise later departed without her.
Her daughter, speaking to The Australian, said: “Then the ship left, apparently without doing a passenger count. At some stage in that sequence, or shortly after, Mum died, alone.”
It is thought Ms Rees was not reported missing until 6pm on Saturday, when she did not arrive for dinner on the cruise, around five hours after she was left on Lizard Island.
The cruise has since been cancelled(Image: Facebook/)
The ship then returned to the island, at around 2am on Sunday, and her body was found 50 metres off the hiking trail that leads to Lizard Island’s highest summit, Cook’s Look. The Coral Adventurer had only left Cairns for the trip on Friday afternoon.
A multi-agency investigation will probe how and why Ms Rees did not make it onto the ship again, including allegations that a passenger count was not conducted before the vessel left. Ms Rees’ family has blasted the “failure of care and common sense” by Coral Expeditions.
The grandma died on the remote Lizard Island in Australia(Image: 7 News/Traci Ayris)
The voyage was cancelled on Wednesday, the CEO said, and all passengers will be issued a full refund. He added that Coral Expeditions was working “to co-ordinate the return journeys of the passengers via chartered flights”.
On Saturday, The Australian Maritime Safety Authority said it had “issued a notice to the Master of Coral Adventurer” which prohibits any new travellers from boarding the vessel. Officials will meet the 112-passenger vessel when it docks in Darwin on Sunday.
Police are also assisting with the investigation, but said the death was being treated as “sudden and non-suspicious”. In a statement, Tourism Tropical North Queensland said it extended sympathies to the woman’s family and “as there is an active investigation we are awaiting further details”. A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Coral Expeditions’ chief executive Mark Fifield said: “”While investigations into the incident are continuing, we are deeply sorry that this has occurred and are offering our full support to the woman’s family.
“The Coral team has been in contact with the woman’s family, and we will continue to offer support to them through this difficult process.
“We are working closely with Queensland Police and other authorities to support their investigation. We are unable to comment further while this process is underway.”
