The daughter of a woman who was left behind by a cruise ship on a remote island and later died has accused the operator of a failure of care and common sense. The body of Suzanne Rees, 80, was found by rescue workers on Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef on Sunday. The day before, she had been hiking on the island with her fellow passengers but was not on the ship when it left hours later. Katherine Rees said she was shocked and saddened that the Coral Adventurer left without my mum, whom she described as healthy, active, a keen gardener, and bushwalker. From the little we have been told, it seems that there was a failure of care and common sense, she said on Thursday. It's understood that Suzanne Rees, from New South Wales, was on the first stop of a 60-day cruise around Australia, which had left Cairns earlier this week. Passengers, who pay tens of thousands of dollars to join the cruise, were transported to the exclusive island for a day trip with the option of hiking or snorkeling. Suzanne joined a group hike to the island's highest peak, Cook's Look, but broke away from the others as she needed to rest. We understand from the police that it was a very hot day, and mum 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, mum died, alone. Katherine expressed hope that a coronial inquiry would uncover what the company should have done to save her mother's life. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) has since initiated an investigation into the incident. A spokesperson for Amsa reported they were alerted to the incident on Saturday evening by the ship's captain. While a search party was sent out, Suzanne's body was found the following morning. The CEO of Coral Expeditions expressed deep regret over the incident, offering support to the family while cooperating with ongoing investigations. Cruise safety expert Harriet Mallinson stated incidents of this nature are rare and that cruise lines have systems to track passengers. The Coral Adventurer accommodates up to 120 guests and is equipped for remote excursions, thus raising questions on how such a tragic oversight occurred.
Negligence Blamed After Woman Dies Following Cruise Ship Departure from Island

Negligence Blamed After Woman Dies Following Cruise Ship Departure from Island
The family of an 80-year-old woman who was accidentally left behind on Lizard Island by a cruise ship has accused the operator of negligence after she was later found dead.
A tragic incident involving an 80-year-old woman, Suzanne Rees, who was left behind by the Coral Adventurer cruise ship on Lizard Island, has raised serious concerns about safety protocols. After a day of hiking, she was found dead hours after the ship departed. Her daughter criticized the operator for a lack of care, prompting an investigation by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority into the circumstances surrounding her death.

















