An 80-year-old Australian woman has been found dead on an island in the Great Barrier Reef after being abandoned by the cruise ship she was traveling on.
The woman had been walking with fellow passengers from the Coral Adventurer cruise ship on Lizard Island, 250km north of Cairns, on Saturday, but it is believed she separated from the group to rest.
The ship left the island around sunset, but returned several hours later after the crew realized the woman was missing. A major search operation found her body Sunday morning. No details have been released.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) said it was investigating and would meet with the ship's crew later this week.
It is understood the woman, who has not been named, was on the first stop of a 60-day cruise around Australia, with tickets costing in the tens of thousands of dollars for the trip.
According to the Courier Mail newspaper, she had taken part in a group walk to the island's highest peak, Cook's Look, before deciding she needed to rest.
But she failed to return to the ship, which then left without her.
Traci Ayris was sailing near the island last weekend and told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that she saw a helicopter using a spotlight to search for a hiking trail on the island around midnight on Saturday.
She said about seven people went to the island with torches to search, but the search was called off around 3am on Sunday (6pm GMT on Saturday) and a helicopter returned on Sunday morning when the body was apparently found.
“We knew she was dead because they immediately called everyone back from the search,” she told ABC.
“And no one went to where the helicopter was hovering until the police arrived later that day.”
A spokesperson for Amsa said it was first informed of the missing woman by the ship's captain around 9pm on Saturday.
The authority said it would work with other relevant agencies to investigate the matter and that it takes the safety of passengers and crew on board commercial ships seriously.
Ms Ayris also said the incident was clearly distressing for the crew and passengers.
“It was very sad in this paradise that this tragedy happened. It should have been a happy time for that sweet lady.”
A report into the woman's “sudden and unsuspicious death” will be prepared for the coroner, Queensland Police said.
The incident happened during the first stop of a 60-day trip through Australia [Coral Expeditions]
Mark Fifield, chief executive of Coral Expeditions, said staff had contacted the woman's family and offered support over the 'tragic death'.
“While investigations into the incident continue, we deeply regret that this occurred and offer our full support to the woman's family,” Fifield said.
“We are working closely with Queensland Police and other authorities to support their investigation. We cannot comment further while this process is ongoing,” he added.
According to the company's website, the Coral Adventurer can accommodate up to 120 guests with 46 crew members. Built specifically to reach remote areas of the Australian coast, it is equipped with 'tenders' – small boats used to take passengers on day trips.
The ship continued its journey to Darwin.
