Lizard Island cruise ship passenger identified as Suzanne Rees
The woman who died at a Great Barrier Reef island after being abandoned by a pocket cruise ship has been named, as questions are raised surrounding a five-hour delay in searching for her.
The woman who died at a Great Barrier Reef island after being abandoned by a pocket cruise ship has been named, as questions are raised surrounding a five-hour delay in searching for her.
A visit to Lizard Island ended in tragedy at the weekend for grandmother Suzanne Rees, 80, who was on a Coral Expeditions cruise ship.
The NSW woman went hiking to the summit of the island’s highest peak on Saturday and later left a group to return to the ship after becoming too tired to continue.
However, she never made it aboard and the Coral Adventurer departed Coconut Bay at 3.40pm on Saturday without her.
Five hours later at 9.40pm the ship turned around and arriving back at the island the crew was instructed to search the track by torchlight.
Both a rescue helicopter and crew members failed to find the woman that night and her body was discovered at first light on Sunday.
Cruise ships and reef boats are legally required to conduct passenger headcounts which are a mandatory part of the safety regulations for domestic commercial vessels, however the missing guest has raised questions about adherence to safety protocols.
Ms Rees has been remembered by her family as a healthy, active 80-year-old who enjoyed gardening and was a keen member of a bushwalking group, before her death at the weekend on the remote Great Barrier Reef Island.
Ms Rees’ daughter, Katherine Rees, said the family was “shocked and saddened that the Coral Adventurer left Lizard Island after an organised excursion without my mum”.“From the little we have been told, it seems that there was a failure of care and common sense,” she said in a statement.
“We understand from the police that it was a very hot day, and Mum fell 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.”
Ms Rees has also called for an coronial investigation into the incident.
Queensland Police, the state coroner, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority are all investigating the death of the woman after she was allegedly abandoned on Saturday afternoon.
Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators chief executive Gareth Phillips has defended Coral Expeditions based on the company’s historical safety record.
“The operator involved in this tragedy is a longstanding and highly respected business within our industry, known for maintaining exceptional safety standards and a strong safety record,” he said.
“The company is co-operating fully with authorities during the ongoing investigation.
“As an industry, we remain committed to working closely with all relevant authorities to ensure the highest possible safety standards are upheld.
“Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences go out to the family and everyone affected. Safety has always been, and will remain, our number one priority.
“Our hearts and minds are with all those affected by this tragic event.”
The disappearance and presumed deaths of American divers Tom and Eileen Lonergan at St. Crispin’s Reef in 1998 led to tighter safety regulations for dive boats in Australia, especially concerning passenger headcounts.
The Australian Government has provided in-principle support for stronger penalties for safety breaches resulting in loss of life after a Senate committee report into the performance of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority in 2021 was convened after the death of Damien Mills in Western Australia.
AMSA officials are expected to meet the ship at its next port of call at Darwin and begin an investigation into the incident.
Originally published as Lizard Island cruise ship passenger identified as Suzanne Rees
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