Australian cruise cancelled after death of passenger left on island
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Ms Suzanne Rees was reportedly left behind on Lizard Island by the Coral Adventurer cruise ship., and was found dead a day later.
PHOTO: CORAL EXPEDITIONS
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SYDNEY - A cruise around Australia was cancelled after an elderly passenger was left behind
Ms Suzanne Rees, 80, was hiking with fellow passengers of the Coral Adventure ship to a lookout spot on Lizard Island, in the Great Barrier Reef, on Oct 25.
Ms Rees felt unwell and began heading back to the ship unescorted, according to national broadcaster ABC.
The cruise ship left the island that evening, without Ms Rees on board, and only returned hours later in search of her.
Her body was found the next day.
The rest of the tour was cancelled, Coral Expeditions chief executive Mark Fifield told ABC on Nov 2, citing Ms Rees’ death and “previous mechanical issues”.
He said the company prides itself on delivering “high-quality experiences” but it was “increasingly apparent given the circumstances of the last week that we could not deliver on this promise”.
Passengers will receive a full refund.
Ms Rees’ daughter, Ms Katherine Rees, told reporters she was “shocked and saddened” that the cruise ship had left the island without her mother, who was a “healthy, active” gardener and bushwalker.
“From the little we have been told, it seems that there was a failure of care and common sense,” she said.
Queensland police said last week Ms Rees’ death was being treated as “non-suspicious”.
The cruise, which had a capacity for 120 passengers, had been on a 60-day tour of Australia. AFP
