Tragic Incident: Cruise Ship Leaves Woman Behind on Remote Island, Family Demands Accountability

Wed Dec 10 2025 08:07:35 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The family of Suzanne Rees, an 80-year-old woman who died after being left on Lizard Island by a cruise liner, has criticized the cruise operator for failure of care. An investigation is underway.

Suzanne Rees, 80, was discovered dead on Lizard Island after being left behind by the Coral Adventurer cruise. Her daughter, Katherine, has called the incident a tragic failure, highlighting concerns over passenger safety protocols. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is investigating the circumstances surrounding this tragic event.

The daughter of a woman who was left behind by a cruise ship on a remote island and later died has accused the operator of a failure of care and common sense.

The body of Suzanne Rees, 80, was found by rescue workers on Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef on Sunday. The day before, she had been hiking on the island with her fellow passengers but was not on the ship when it left hours later.

Katherine Rees said she was shocked and saddened that the Coral Adventurer left without my mum, whom she described as healthy, active, a keen gardener and bushwalker.

From the little we have been told, it seems that there was a failure of care and common sense, she said on Thursday.

It's understood that Suzanne Rees, from New South Wales, was on the first stop of a 60-day cruise around Australia, which had left Cairns earlier this week.

Passengers, who pay tens of thousands of dollars to join the cruise, were transported to the exclusive island for a day trip with the option of hiking or snorkelling.

On the day of the incident, Suzanne joined a group hike to the island's highest peak, Cook's Look, but broke away from the others as she needed to rest.

We understand from the police that it was a very hot day, and mum fell ill on the hill climb, Katherine said.

She was asked to head down, unescorted. Then the ship left, apparently without doing a passenger count., she added.

At some stage in that sequence, or shortly after, mum died, alone.

Katherine expressed hopes for an inquiry that might uncover what the cruise company could have done to save her mother.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) has launched an investigation into the death, with plans to meet the ship's crew following its arrival in Darwin later this week.

A spokesperson for Amsa confirmed that they were alerted to the missing woman around 21:00 local time on Saturday by the ship's captain.

A search party was dispatched but efforts were called off in the early hours of Sunday. A helicopter later found her body on the island.

This incident has raised serious concerns about passenger safety regulations on cruise ships, with experts emphasizing the importance of thorough passenger counts and communication during excursions.

In response to the tragedy, Mark Fifield, CEO of Coral Expeditions, stated they are deeply sorry for the death and are offering support to the Rees family while cooperating with the investigation.