An 80-year-old passenger has died after being left behind by a luxury cruise ship on Lizard Island, Queensland. Suzanne Rees, a passenger aboard the Coral Adventurer, went missing during a shore excursion on 25 October and was later found dead. The vessel, operated by Coral Expeditions, departed the island without her, and authorities were not alerted for five hours.
The Coral Adventurer has since docked in Cairns, where all passengers have been disembarked and flown home. The ship, originally scheduled to end its journey in Darwin, was rerouted after the tragic incident. Coral Expeditions CEO Mark Fifield stated that the company could no longer deliver its promised experience and offered full refunds to all passengers.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has issued a notice prohibiting any new passengers from boarding the Coral Adventurer pending an investigation. AMSA inspectors met the vessel in Cairns to probe why Rees was not accounted for during boarding. Queensland police have described the death as non-suspicious, with a coronial investigation underway.
Rees had been on a 60-day circumnavigation of Australia, with balcony cabins priced at $86,400 per person. She fell ill and was told to return to the ship unescorted but never made it. Her daughter, Katherine Rees, expressed the family's shock and sadness that the ship left without her mother. Coral Expeditions and AMSA have extended their condolences to the family.
