SYDNEY – A tragic incident of negligence has been reported in Australia, where an 80-year-old cruise passenger died after being left behind alone on a remote island.
According to foreign media reports, the victim, an 80-year-old Australian woman named Suzanne, was on a 60-day cruise. She was mistakenly abandoned on Lizard Island, part of the Great Barrier Reef.
The devastating event unfolded on October 24, when the woman was hiking on the island, located 250 km (155 miles) north of Cairns. She had joined a group hike to the island’s highest point, “Cook’s Look,” but decided to rest along the way due to fatigue.
The cruise ship crew reportedly departed the island at sunset. It was only “several hours later” that they realized the woman was missing. The crew returned to the island to conduct a search, but tragically found her body the following morning (Sunday).
Queensland Police have described the death as “sudden and non-suspicious.”
The incident has sparked a major investigation into the cruise line’s procedures. The ship, identified as the “Coral Adventurer,” is scheduled to return on November 2, at which point a formal inquiry will commence. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has stated it will investigate the incident to determine “why passenger accountability was not maintained” during boarding.
