Family Demands Answers After Ship Leaves Woman Behind

An Australian family is demanding answers after an 80-year-old woman died alone on a remote island, apparently left behind by her cruise ship. Suzanne Rees, described by her daughter as a healthy, active gardener and bushwalker, was on the second day of a luxury 60-day cruise around Australia when she joined an excursion to hike Cook's Look on Lizard Island, a remote spot on the Great Barrier Reef, the Guardian reports. "We understand from the police that it was a very hot day, and Mum felt ill on the hill climb. She was asked to head down, unescorted," Rees' daughter says. "Then the ship left, apparently without doing a passenger count. At some stage in that sequence, or shortly after, Mum died, alone."

The crew of the Coral Adventurer, operated by Coral Expeditions, didn't realize until almost 9pm that Rees was missing, at which point they turned the ship around, the BBC reports. Rees' body was discovered the following day. Her daughter says the family was "shocked and saddened" and pointed to "a failure of care and common sense." She added, "I hope that the coronial inquiry will find out what the company should have done that might have saved Mum's life." Balcony rooms on the cruise reportedly cost $86,400 per person.

The incident has triggered multiple investigations by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Queensland police, the state coroner, and WorkSafe Queensland. Authorities are examining how Rees was left unaccounted for and whether safety protocols were breached. Coral Expeditions CEO Mark Fifield called the death "tragic" and said the company was cooperating with authorities and supporting the family.