🔗 Share this article Voyage Terminated After Fatal Incident of Female Passenger Stranded on Remote Island Lizard Island lies roughly 250km north of the Australian Port An extensive 60-day cruise circling Australia was terminated days after the death of an elderly woman who was stranded by the ship on a remote island. Suzanne Rees had been walking on the remote island with other travelers from the vessel, but broke off from the group for a pause. The liner left without her and came back after some time after the crew became aware the lady was missing. A major search operation found her body the following day. Officials are looking into the event, alongside investigators and the state coroner. The CEO of the cruise operator announced that passengers and staff on the Coral Adventurer were informed that the rest of the cruise had been cancelled due to the "sad loss and prior mechanical issues". In a statement, he added that passengers would be provided a full refund, and said the organization was working "to arrange the travel back of the passengers via private aircraft". Authorities also published an revised statement, and said they had "provided a order to the Master" banning any further travelers from entering the liner. The official said that they would visit the liner in the port city upon its arrival. Sequence of Occurrences The vessel originally sailed from the Australian port on October 24th, and was merely two days into the journey at the point of the senior passenger's death. Lizard Island was the initial destination on the itinerary. Travelers on board - who usually pay substantial amounts of dollars to take part in the voyage - were transported there for a day trip with the possibility of hiking or snorkeling. Next of Kin Reaction The child of the elderly passenger said that her relatives was "surprised and grieved that the vessel left Lizard Island after an scheduled excursion without my mother". Through her comments, she characterized her mother as an "active octogenarian" who was a affiliate of a bushwalking group. "Based on limited details we have been informed, it looks that there was a lapse of care and common sense," she said. She added that she wished the inquiry would be able to identify what "the company should have done that might have preserved Mum's existence". "We understand from the police that it was a very hot period, and she fell ill on the uphill trek," she explained. "She was asked her to head down, alone. Then the boat sailed away, reportedly without doing a roll call. "At some stage in that sequence, or soon after, mother succumbed, by herself." Company Reaction Through an announcement, the CEO verified that the company was "cooperating fully with authorities to support their inquiry". He stated that the organization was "very regretful that this has occurred" and had extended its full support to the relatives. Cruise Industry Standards The vessel accommodates up to 120 passengers with forty-six staff, according to company details. It was specially constructed to enter remote locations of the Australian coast and is equipped with "auxiliary vessels" - minor craft used to ferry passengers on shore trips. Incidents such as this are uncommon, and liners have protocols to document which travelers are getting on or disembarking, according to industry experts. "Sneaking ashore or [back] onboard simply isn't an option," an authority stated. Vessel operators consider these methods extremely carefully and have "clever tech in place to stop such occurrences from occurring," the authority further stated. "This seems to be most likely a surprising - and tragic - isolated incident."