The luxury Coral Adventurer cruise has been cancelled in the wake of the death of passenger Suzanne Rees, who was left on the Great Barrier Reef’s Lizard Island and wasn’t found until the next day.
It will now return to Cairns, as investigations into Rees’ death continue.
The chief executive officer of Coral Expeditions, Mark Fifield, said the company prided itself on “delivering high quality experiences to our guests”.
“It was increasingly apparent given the circumstances of the last week that we could not deliver on this promise,” he said in a statement on Saturday.
On 25 October, the luxury cruise ship arrived on Lizard Island as part of a 60-day circumnavigation of Australia. Eighty-year-old Rees had to pull out of a planned hike to the island’s summit.
Her daughter, Katherine Rees, said that her mother had felt ill and was asked to head down, unescorted.
She never made it back to the ship.
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The ship left Lizard Island at 3.40pm. It was five hours before authorities were alerted that she was missing, and a land and sea search-and-rescue operation was launched.
Rees was found dead the next day.
Katherine Rees said the family was “shocked and saddened” that the ship had left the island after the organised excursion without her mother.
Timeline
Coral Adventurer timeline
Show
Times are in local Queensland time.
5.30pm
Coral Adventurer departs Cairns.
8:30am
Coral Adventurer arrives on the western side of Lizard Island.
3:40pm
Coral Adventurer leaves Lizard Island, tracking north-westerly towards Cape Melville.
8:43pm
Between Barrow Reef and Unison Reef off Cape Melville national park, the ship makes a sudden about turn and begins heading south.
3:25am
Coral Adventurer arrives back at Lizard Island.
6:55pm
Coral Adventurer leaves Lizard Island for the second time, again heading towards Cape York.
12:15am
Coral Adventurer passes the point at which it previously turned around.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) said on Saturday it had issued a notice to the master of the ship banning any new passengers, and that it understood the ship would return to Cairns, where Amsa staff will meet it.
Amsa is investigating why Rees may not have been accounted for during boarding.
Fifield said passengers and crew were notified on Wednesday that “following the tragic passing of Suzanne Rees and previous mechanical issues, the decision had been made to cancel the remainder of the voyage”.
“Passengers were told they would receive a full refund,” he said.
“Since that time, our team has worked to coordinate the return journeys of the passengers via chartered flights, as well as the crew and the vessel.”
Amsa and Fifield have offered their condolences to Rees’ family and loved ones.
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