“Mum died alone” – Daughter of deceased cruise passenger speaks out as authorities launch investigation

• An 80 year-old woman died on a shore excursion on Lizard Island in the Great Barrier Reef.
• She was reported missing and unfortunately confirmed dead one day later.
• Authorities continue to investigate the cause of death and how she came to be alone on the island.

Update October 30: The woman who tragically died on her cruise ship excursion at Lizard Island, Suzanne Rees, has been named, and her daughter has spoken to the press, expressing her frustration at the way the situation was allegedly handled.

Katherine Rees told The Australia that she heard that the ship left without doing a passenger count. She said her mum became ill on the climb and was asked to travel back down the mountain alone.

“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. Then the ship left, apparently without doing a passenger count. At some stage in that sequence, or shortly after, Mum died, alone.

“From the little we have been told, it seems that there was a failure of common sense.”

She says the family is “shocked and saddened”, at the alleged fact that her grandmother was abandoned on the excursion.

It’s been reported that Rees was not reported missing until she missed dinner, at around 6pm on Saturday night, a full five hours after when she allegedly told to go back down the mountain by her excursion crew.

While these details are yet to be confirmed by authorities, the family’s reaction will certainly raise questions over the conduct and circumstances of the tragic death, and an investigation will hopefully shortly bring answers and clarity to the situation.

A multi-agency investigation has been launched into the incident and Rees’s daughter is hoping for answers.

“I hope that the coronial inquiry will find out what the company should have done that might have saved Mum’s life,” Katherine Rees said.”

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has said it is investigating why a passenger was not accounted for during boarding of the ship, and apart from the state coroner, Queensland police and WorkSafe Queensland are also investigating the incident.

AMSA said: “Amsa will make an assessment as to whether there was any non-compliance associated with the passenger not being counted onto the ship and, if necessary, will take action to address them.”

Rees first went missing on Saturday and a widescale search was launched on Saturday night after the woman was reported missing from her Coral Adventurer cruise, when the ship visited Lizard Island.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority confirmed to ABC News it was investigating the incident and will speak to the crew when the cruise ship arrived in Darwin in the coming days.

The woman was on a group hiking tour of Lizard Island but did not return to the ship. The vessel was seen departing the surrounding waters between 6-7pm.

Emergency services, with the assistance of Nautilus Aviation helicopters were called just before midnight when the crew became aware the woman was not onboard.

Traci Ayris, a yachtie who was sailing in the area was awoken at around midnight to the sound of a helicopter.

“We knew that someone was missing and then we saw the Coral Adventurer heading back to Lizard [Island] on our AIS tracker,” Ms Ayris told ABC News.

“When it arrived [between 1am and 2am on Sunday] they sent a crew of seven to shore with torches. They searched until about 3am, then the search was called off until first light when the chopper would return.”

Ms Ayris said the helicopter returned about 9:30am and found the woman’s body “right away”, but she was not recovered until later that day.

“We knew she was dead because they called everyone back from the search immediately,” she said.

“And no-one went to the spot that the chopper was hovering over until later that day when the police arrived.”

Owner of the South Pacific II fishing and charter boat, Rob Siganato, said he saw the Coral Adventurer depart and at around 11:30pm or midnight, a helicopter arrived at the island to search for the woman.

“We heard the conversation on the radio. They were looking for someone and the last known location was halfway up the hill,” Mr Siganto said.

He also said the helicopter radioed that the crew had not found anything and was out of fuel and needed to return to Cairns. Siganto awoke at first light and said the Coral Adventurer was back at Lizard Island.

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A statement from Coral Expeditions

Coral Expeditions chief executive Mark Fifield said in a statement: “While investigations into the incident are continuing, we are deeply sorry that this has occurred and are offering our full support to the woman’s family.

“The Coral team have been in contact with the woman’s family, and we will continue to offer support to them through this difficult process.”

The Australian reported that she had been walking up to Cook’s Look summit with a group of other travellers, before stopping and then getting lost on her way back to the ship.

Another source reported that the woman fell off a cliff. The hike is known to be moderately challenging, especially in heat.

However, these stories and the cause of her death have not yet been confirmed by authorities.

The Coral Adventurer ship that the woman was aboard is currently on a 60-night circumnavigation of Australia.

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Authorities to investigate

Fifield said Coral Expeditions was working with the authorities.

“While investigations into the incident are continuing, we are deeply sorry that this has occurred and are offering our full support to the woman’s family,” Mr Fifield said.

An AMSA spokesperson said it would “attend the vessel upon arrival in Darwin” as part of its ongoing investigation into the incident.

“AMSA is currently liaising and working with other relevant agencies on this matter,” the spokesperson said.

“AMSA takes the safety of passengers and crew onboard commercial vessels seriously.”

Police are also assisting with the investigation, but said the death was being treated as “sudden and non-suspicious”.

A report will be prepared by the coroner.