News & Current Events
Heartbreaking Details Emerge After 80-Year-Old Woman Dies When Cruise Ship Left Her Behind—Daughter Speaks Out
The daughter of an 80-year-old woman who was discovered dead after a commercial cruise ship abandoned her on a secluded island has taken aim at the operator.
The BBC reports that on Sunday, October 26, rescuers discovered Suzanne Rees’ body on Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef.
It is believed that the woman from New South Wales did not return to the Coral Adventurer cruise with the passengers after hiking on the island with them.
She was abandoned at the first stop of the 60-day voyage around Australia, which is estimated to have cost about $52,000 (£39,000), according to the New York Post.
The death of Rees is being handled as “sudden and non-suspicious,” but her daughter Katherine Rees, who expressed her shock and sadness at her mother’s abandonment, feels that there was a “failure of care.”
She told The Australian: “From the little we have been told, it seems that there was a failure of care and common sense. 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.”
“I hope that the coronial inquiry will find out what the company should have done that might have saved Mum’s life.”
According to Queensland Police, Coral Adventurer sounded the alarm at 10 p.m. (AEST) on Saturday, October 25, and notified the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre, the emergency hotline for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) located in Canberra.
Her body was discovered on Sunday after a rescue helicopter was sent out at 12:45 a.m.
“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,” stated an ASMA spokesperson.
“We are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding why the passenger may not have been accounted for during boarding,” the spokesman said.
Coral Expeditions chief executive, Mark Fifield, also said on Tuesday, “On Saturday, 25 October, the crew notified authorities that a woman was missing, and a search and rescue operation was launched on land and sea.”
“Following the operation, Coral Expeditions was notified by Queensland police that the woman had been found deceased on Lizard Island.”
“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.”
“We are working closely with Queensland police and other authorities to support their investigation. We are unable to comment further while this process is under way.”
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