Investigators have boarded an Australian cruise ship more than 10 days after the death of an elderly female passenger who was left behind on a remote island.
Suzanne Rees, 80, had been hiking on Lizard Island with fellow passengers from the Coral Adventurer, but broke off from the group for a rest. The ship left without her, only returning several hours later when the crew realised Ms Rees was missing.
Officials from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) boarded the vessel on Wednesday morning local time.
Amsa, which is probing the incident alongside Queensland Police and the state coroner, told the BBC it could not comment on the investigation.
The cruise, which had cost guests tens of thousands of dollars, was cancelled due to Ms Rees' death as well as mechanical issues.
The Coral Adventurer caters for up to 120 guests with 46 crew, and was purpose-built to access remote areas of Australia's coast. It initially left Cairns after a delay on October 24 and reached Lizard Island for the first stop on the journey.
Suzanne Rees' daughter described her mother, an active member of a bushwalking group, as an active 80-year-old who was left alone after reportedly being asked to descend unescorted during a climb. Following her disappearance, her body was discovered the next day.
Mark Fifield, the CEO of Coral Expeditions, expressed that the company was deeply sorry for the incident and is cooperating with authorities in the ongoing investigation.
