The family of a cruise ship passenger who tragically passed away alone on a Great Barrier Reef island has raised serious concerns over the operator’s actions, citing a “failure of care and common sense.” They are pushing for a coronial inquiry to shed light on the circumstances surrounding her death.
The passenger, 81-year-old Suzanne Rees, was discovered missing after a routine check of the Coral Adventurer cruise ship last Saturday night. This check revealed that she had not returned to the ship following an excursion to Lizard Island, an exclusive resort destination located off the coast of Cooktown in Far North Queensland.
In response to this incident, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has launched an investigation. They have stated their intention to question the ship’s crew once it docks in Darwin, which is expected to be on Sunday.
“AMSA will assess whether there was any non-compliance related to the passenger not being accounted for when boarding the ship,” a spokesperson from AMSA explained. “If any discrepancies are found, we will take appropriate measures to address them.”
The search for Rees began last Saturday at 9 p.m. after the ship’s captain alerted authorities to her disappearance. Queensland Police were also involved in the search efforts led by AMSA.
AMSA said it began searching with Queensland Police after the ship’s captain reported the woman missing to authorities at 9pm last Saturday.
Coral Expeditions chief executive Mark Fifield offered his apology to the woman’s family and said the company was working with authorities in their investigations.
“Coral Expeditions can confirm the tragic death of a passenger on the Coral Adventurer during an excursion to Lizard Island in Queensland,” he said in a statement.
“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 have 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.”
Queensland Police is investigating the death, but has ruled it non-suspicious.
A report is being prepared for the coroner.
