Australian Woman Dies After Cruise Ship Leaves Her Behind On Remote Island
The woman died on Lizard Island after being left behind by a cruise ship during a hike, prompting an investigation by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
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- An 80-year-old Australian woman was found dead on Lizard Island after being left behind by a cruise ship
- AMSA is investigating why the passenger was not accounted for during boarding
- The woman died after resting during a group hike and was found the next morning by a search operation
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An 80-year-old Australian woman was found dead on Lizard Island, which is a tropical paradise in the Great Barrier Reef, after being accidentally left behind by a cruise ship. The incident is being probed by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), including the circumstances surrounding why the passenger wasn't accounted for during boarding. The ship's crew will be questioned when the Coral Adventurer docks in Darwin on November 2.
The tragic incident happened on October 24, when the woman joined a group hike to the island's highest peak, Cook's Look. However, she struggled to keep up and decided to take a rest.
When the crew realised she was missing, they launched a search operation, and her body was found the next morning. Queensland Police described her death as "sudden and non-suspicious."
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The woman was on a 60-day luxury cruise around Australia, which cost around AU$80,000 (approximately US$50,000). Fellow passengers and crew members described the incident as distressing and paid tribute to the woman, saying it should have been a happy time for her
As quoted by The Guardian, "Her daughter, said on Thursday that her family was "shocked and saddened that the Coral Adventurer left Lizard Island after an organised excursion without my mum, Suzanne".
"From the little we have been told, it seems that there was a failure of care and common sense," Katherine Rees said in a statement, mentioning that her mother was a healthy and active gardener.
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"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."
"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.
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