Suzanne Rees, an 80-year-old Australian woman from New South Wales, was found dead on Lizard Island after reportedly being left behind by her luxury cruise ship, the Coral Adventurer.
Rees had joined other passengers on a guided hike during the first stop of a 60-day voyage around Australia, with ticket prices reaching nearly $80,000. At some point, she became separated from the group, apparently stopping to rest, while the ship departed at sunset unaware she was missing.
It wasn’t until hours later that the crew realised she hadn’t returned and went back to the island, where a search team involving a helicopter discovered her body the next morning. Authorities have since launched a full investigation into the incident, raising serious concerns about safety procedures and passenger oversight on such high-end cruises.
Reese’s daughter, Katherine, said her mother fell ill at the island and was asked to clamber back down the mountain on her own, The Sun reported.
“Then the ship left, apparently without doing a passenger count. At some stage in that sequence, or shortly after, Mum died, alone,” she told The Australian.
The tragic death of Reese left her family saddened and in shock.
The police are trying to determine whether Reese would have survived had she been reported missing earlier, wondering why the staff at the cruise took so long to realize a passenger was missing.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) confirmed that they are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding why the passenger was not accounted for during boarding. A spokesman stated, “We are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding why the passenger may not have been accounted for during boarding. It is critical to determine whether standard protocols were followed and what steps can be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.”
Coral Expeditions CEO Mark Fifield said the company is fully cooperating with authorities investigating the tragedy but declined to provide further details, stating it would be inappropriate to comment while the official inquiries are still ongoing.
“We have expressed our heartfelt condolences to the Rees family and remain deeply sorry that this has occurred,” Fifield said in a statement.
“We continue to provide our full support to the Rees family through this difficult time,” he added.
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