Investigators have boarded an Australian cruise ship more than 10 days after the death of an elderly female passenger who was left behind on a remote island.
Suzanne Rees, 80, had been hiking on Lizard Island with fellow passengers from the Coral Adventurer but broke off from the group for a rest. The ship left without her, only returning several hours later when the crew realised Ms Rees was missing.
Officials from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) boarded the vessel on Wednesday morning local time.
Amsa, which is probing the incident alongside Queensland Police and the state coroner, told the BBC it could not comment on the investigation.
The 60-day cruise around Australia, which had cost guests tens of thousands of dollars, was cancelled due to Ms Rees' death as well as mechanical issues.
The Coral Adventurer had been expected to dock at Cairns – where its operator Coral Expeditions is based. However, a lack of available berths meant it instead dropped anchor a few kilometres north early on Tuesday evening, off the coast of Yorkey's Knob.
Only a skeleton crew were on board during this time, and ship tracking data showed one of the vessel's smaller boats moving between the ship and the shore.
The Coral Adventurer caters for up to 120 guests with 46 crew. It was purpose-built to access remote areas of Australia's coast.
Suzanne Rees' daughter, Katherine Rees, expressed her family's shock and sadness, stating that there was a failure of care and common sense in the handling of her mother's situation. Following an inquiry, the family hopes to find clarity on what actions could have potentially saved her life.
