🔗 Share this article

One extended journey through the Australian Coast has been cancelled in the wake of the tragic passing of an older woman who was stranded by the vessel on a isolated tropical isle.

Suzanne Rees had been walking on Lizard Island with shipmates from the vessel, but broke off from the group for a rest. The liner left without her and went back several hours later after the crew realised the lady was missing.

A major rescue mission located her body the following day.

Authorities are examining the tragedy, alongside police and the medical examiner.

The CEO of the voyage organizer said that guests and crew on the vessel were notified that the rest of the voyage had been terminated due to the "tragic passing and prior mechanical issues".

Through an announcement, he added that travelers would be issued a complete reimbursement, and said the company was working "to arrange the travel back of the travelers via specially arranged planes".

Authorities also published an revised communication, and said they had "issued a directive to the Captain" prohibiting any new passengers from getting on the liner.

The spokesperson said that they would visit the liner in the port city upon its arrival.

Timeline of Events

The ship initially left the Australian port on October 24th, and was only 48 hours into the expedition at the point of the 80-year-old's demise. The remote island was the opening port on the voyage.

Guests on board - who usually pay large sums of dollars to join the voyage - were taken there for a shore visit with the choice of trekking or underwater exploration.

Family Reaction

The child of the elderly passenger said that her family was "surprised and saddened that the liner left Lizard Island after an scheduled outing without my parent".

Via her announcement, she portrayed her parent as an "active octogenarian" who was a participant of a bushwalking club.

"According to scant information we have been provided, it seems that there was a breakdown of care and ordinary reasoning," she mentioned.

She continued that she hoped the inquiry would be able to identify what "the company should have undertaken that might have protected Her being".

"We understand from the investigators that it was a extremely warm period, and mother fell ill on the hill climb," she revealed.

"She was asked her to return, unescorted. Then the ship left, reportedly without doing a headcount.

"During some point in that process, or shortly after, she died, by herself."

Company Reaction

In a statement, the CEO affirmed that the organization was "cooperating fully with officials to support their investigation".

He said that the organization was "very regretful that this has occurred" and had provided its full support to the family.

Maritime Business Standards

The vessel serves up to a hundred twenty travelers with nearly fifty staff, according to official information. It was specially constructed to enter isolated regions of the Australian coastline and is equipped with "auxiliary vessels" - small boats used to transport travelers on day excursions.

Occurrences such as this are uncommon, and cruise ships have protocols to document which individuals are boarding or leaving, according to industry experts.

"Leaving covertly or [back] on the ship just isn't an choice," one expert commented.

Vessel operators regard these processes with great importance and have "clever tech in place to stop such incidents from occurring," the specialist continued.

"This is probably a surprising - and tragic - single occurrence."