The head of a cruise line company has provided an update following the death of a woman who was reportedly left on a remote island.
Suzanne Rees, a retired resident from New South Wales, Australia, was allegedly left by the Coral Adventurer during a 60-day cruise around Australia.
Reports indicate that Rees, aged 80, was participating in a guided hiking trip on Lizard Island with other travelers but decided to take a break from the group.
When she did not return to the ship, it reportedly set sail without her.
Her body was discovered the next day (October 26) by rescue helicopter personnel. The Queensland Police Service described her death as ‘sudden and non-suspicious’.
In a conversation with The Australian, her daughter, Katherine Rees, explained, “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.
“I hope that the coronial inquiry will find out what the company should have done that might have saved mom’s life.”
Mark Fifield, the CEO of Coral Expeditions, provided an update on Saturday (November 1). He informed passengers and crew on Wednesday that the cruise had been canceled due to ‘the tragic passing of Suzanne Rees and previous mechanical issues’.
He assured that passengers would receive refunds and stated that the company was organizing the return of passengers through chartered flights.
In a prior statement, Fifield confirmed, “Coral Expeditions can confirm the tragic death of a passenger on the Coral Adventurer during an excursion to Lizard Island in Queensland.
“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 added: “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.”
LADbible Group has previously reached out to Coral Expeditions for additional comments.