Investigators have boarded the Coral Adventurer cruise ship more than 10 days after passenger Suzanne Rees, 80, died after being left behind on Lizard Island. The ship returned several hours later after crew members realized Ms. Rees was missing.
Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) officials boarded the vessel on Wednesday morning local time. Amsa is investigating the incident alongside Queensland Police and the state coroner. Amsa declined to comment on the ongoing investigation.
Incident Details
Ms. Rees had been hiking on Lizard Island with other passengers from the Coral Adventurer. She separated from the group to rest. The ship departed without her, returning several hours later when her absence was noted.
Cruise Cancellation and Vessel Status
The 60-day cruise around Australia was cancelled following Ms. Rees's death and due to reported mechanical issues. The Coral Adventurer was initially expected to dock in Cairns, the base for its operator Coral Expeditions. However, a lack of available berths led the vessel to anchor a few kilometers north, off the coast of Yorkey's Knob, on Tuesday evening, where it remained on Wednesday morning. A skeleton crew was reported to be on board. Ship tracking data indicated a tender boat moving between the ship and the shore on Tuesday night. All passengers had disembarked at Horn Island over the weekend and were transferred to the mainland via a charter plane.
Vessel Information and Itinerary
The Coral Adventurer is designed to accommodate up to 120 guests with 46 crew members. It was purpose-built to access remote coastal areas of Australia. The vessel initially departed Cairns at approximately 07:30 local time on October 24, following a delay of about a week due to mechanical issues. The ship reached Lizard Island, also known as Jiigurru or Dyiigurra, in the northern Great Barrier Reef, the following day, marking its first stop on the journey.