Snorkeller dies on Great Barrier Reef tour

An elderly woman has died during a snorkelling tour on the Great Barrier Reef.

Police talk with disembarking passengers as Cairns Reef boat Ocean Spirit returns to the Marlin Marina. Picture: The Cairns Post

A woman has died on the Great Barrier Reef during a snorkelling tour.

It is understood the Spanish woman, 76, was pulled from the water after being found unresponsive shortly before 2pm Tuesday and could not be revived despite efforts from an off-duty doctor.

Ocean Spirit returns to the Marlin Marina Tuesday afternoon after the tragic death. Picture: The Cairns Post

She was among a group of around 80 people on a snorkelling tour off Michaelmas Cay, near Cairns, on the Ocean Spirit.

Quicksilver Cruises, the company which operates the tour boat the woman was on, confirmed the incident Tuesday afternoon.

“First I would like to offer my sympathies to everyone affected by the incident,” managing director Tony Baker said.

The boat docked at Marlin Marina Tuesday afternoon.

“We’ve had an incident today where a 76-year-old lady was in the water. She had gone for a swim of Michaelmas Cay and was wearing snorkelling gear and a lifejacket as she walked from the beach.

“The lifeguards noticed that something wasn’t right and went out to check on her and picked her up in the water and took her straight back to the boat where they tried to revive her with the assistance of a doctor but were unable to.”

Queensland Police say the snorkeller’s death is not being treated as suspicious.

“Police will prepare a report for the Coroner in conjunction with investigators from Work, Health and Safety, after a 76-year-old woman died while snorkelling off the coast of Cairns,” a statement said.

Michaelmas Cay. Picture: File photo/Supplied

“Investigations are in the early stages and limited details are available at this time, however police are not treating the death as suspicious.”

Police say it may be some time before they can confirm the identity of the woman and notify her next-of-kin.

The woman’s comes two weeks after a man in his 70s died after being swept away while on a snorkelling tour over the Great Barrier Reef.

Adrian Meyer, 71 of Angaston in South Australia, was one of dozens of tourists who were swept away in a “treacherous” current while swimming around 60 kilometres northeast of Cairns on November 20.

A rescue vessel attempted to retrieve the retiree before capsizing. Multiple witnesses said his body was then recovered from the water by a nearby boat. He was on the snorkelling tour with family members.

Originally published as Snorkeller dies on Great Barrier Reef tour