The heartbroken daughter of a woman whose body was discovered on a remote island after allegedly being ‘left behind’ by a cruise ship has come forward to express her feelings.
Suzanne Rees, a retiree from New South Wales, embarked on what was meant to be an adventure of a lifetime. However, during the first stop of a 60-day Australian cruise, priced at tens of thousands of dollars, the 80-year-old was reportedly left behind by the Coral Adventurer.
Her family claims that Rees had participated in a planned hiking and snorkeling tour around Lizard Island, which involved reaching the highest peak off the Far North Queensland coast on Saturday, October 25.
Tragically, when she did not return to the ship, the cruise reportedly sailed away without her. Her body was discovered by rescue workers the following day, October 26.
Her daughter, Katherine Rees, has now spoken about the tragedy, criticizing the cruise operator for what she describes as a ‘failure of care and common sense’.
In an interview with The Australian, Katherine stated: “We understand from the police that it was a very hot day, and mom fell ill on the hill climb.
“She was asked to head down, unescorted. Then the ship left, apparently without doing a passenger count.
“At some stage in that sequence, or shortly after, mom died, alone.”
Katherine expressed her ‘shock and sadness’ at the cruise ship departing without her mother, who she described as active and healthy.
“I hope that the coronial inquiry will find out what the company should have done that might have saved mom’s life.” she added.
The hiking group seemingly returned to the vessel unaware that Suzanne was missing. It was only at 6pm that evening when she didn’t show up for dinner that concerns were raised, leading the Coral Adventurer to retrace its route to search the island.
A search led by a Nautilus Aviation helicopter located her body in the remote area on Sunday. It is suspected that she fell from a cliff.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is also investigating the death and plans to meet the crew when they arrive in Darwin later this week. They confirmed receiving a missing person report from the ship’s captain at approximately 9pm.
Coral Expeditions chief executive Mark Fifield expressed the company’s deep regret for the incident and mentioned their cooperation with authorities for the ongoing investigation.
“Coral Expeditions can confirm the tragic death of a passenger on the Coral Adventurer during an excursion to Lizard Island in Queensland.” he stated.
“On Saturday October 25, the crew notified authorities that a woman was missing, and a search and rescue operation was launched on land and sea. Following the operation, Coral Expeditions was notified by Queensland Police that the woman had been found deceased on Lizard Island.”
He continued: “While investigations into the incident are continuing, we are deeply sorry that this has occurred and are offering our full support to the woman’s family.
“The Coral team have been in contact with the woman’s family, and we will continue to offer support to them through this difficult process.
“We are working closely with Queensland Police and other authorities to support their investigation.”