Family Demands Answers After Ship Leaves Woman Behind

An Australian family is demanding answers after 80-year-old Suzanne Rees was found dead on a remote island, apparently left behind by her cruise ship.

Rees, described by her daughter as a healthy and active gardener and bushwalker, was on the second day of a luxury 60-day cruise around Australia when she joined an excursion to hike Cook’s Look on Lizard Island, a remote area on the Great Barrier Reef, according to the Guardian.

Police told the family it was an extremely hot day and that Rees began to feel unwell during the climb. “She was asked to head down, unescorted,” her daughter said. “Then the ship left, apparently without doing a passenger count. At some stage in that sequence, or shortly after, Mum died, alone.”

The BBC reports that the crew of the Coral Adventurer, operated by Coral Expeditions, did not realize Rees was missing until nearly 9 p.m., hours after the vessel had departed. The ship turned around, but Rees’ body was not discovered until the following day.

Rees’ daughter said the family was “shocked and saddened” and called her mother’s death the result of “a failure of care and common sense.” She expressed hope that a coronial inquiry would determine “what the company should have done that might have saved Mum’s life.” Balcony cabins on the cruise reportedly cost about $86,400 per person.

The tragedy has prompted multiple investigations by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Queensland Police, the state coroner, and WorkSafe Queensland. Officials are investigating how Rees was left behind and whether safety procedures were ignored.

Coral Expeditions CEO Mark Fifield described the death as “tragic,” saying the company is cooperating fully with investigators and offering support to Rees’ family.

original source