Investigation Launched Following Tragic Death of Elderly Woman Left Behind on Cruise

Sun Nov 30 2025 23:04:36 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Australian investigators have boarded the Coral Adventurer cruise ship after the tragic death of an elderly passenger who was left behind on an isolated island. Authorities are looking into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The investigation into the death of 80-year-old Suzanne Rees has begun, after she was inadvertently left on Lizard Island during a cruise. Authorities from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and Queensland Police are examining the circumstances that led to her death, as her family seeks clarity on the company's responsibility.

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. But 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, where it remained on Wednesday morning.

Ship tracking data showed one of the vessel's smaller boats, known as a tender, moving between the ship and the shore on Tuesday night.

All passengers disembarked at Horn Island in the far north of Queensland over the weekend and were transferred to the mainland on a charter plane.

The Coral Adventurer caters for up to 120 guests with 46 crew, according to the company's website. It was purpose-built to access remote areas of Australia's coast.

Tracking data shows the vessel initially left Cairns at around 07:30 local time on 24 October - after a delay of around a week because of mechanical issues. The next day it reached Lizard Island - also known as Jiigurru or Dyiigurra - in the northern area of the Great Barrier Reef for the first stop on the journey.

Passengers aboard were transported by tenders to the secluded island – home to a luxury resort and a research station - for a day trip with the option of hiking or snorkeling.

Suzanne Rees' daughter, Katherine Rees, expressed her shock and sadness that the Coral Adventurer left Lizard Island after an organized excursion without her mother.

She described her mother as an 'active 80-year-old' who was a member of a bushwalking group and highlighted the failure of care that led to her mother's tragic death.

The family hopes the coroner's inquiry will clarify what could have been done to save her life.

A search and rescue effort on 25 October did not find any sign of Ms Rees. Her body was discovered the following day.

The chief executive of Coral Expeditions extended his deepest apologies for the oversight and stated the company is cooperating fully with the investigation.