Australian authorities are investigating after an 80-year-old woman who was left behind on a Great Barrier Reef island by a cruise ship was found dead.
The woman had been hiking on Lizard Island, 250 km (155 miles) north of Cairns, with fellow passengers from the Coral Adventurer cruise ship on Saturday but is believed to have broken off from the group to have a rest.
The ship left the island around sunset but returned several hours later after the crew realised the woman was missing. A major search operation found the woman's body on Sunday morning.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said it is investigating and will meet the ship's crew when it docks in Darwin later this week.
A spokesperson for AMSA said it was first alerted to the missing woman at around 21:00 local time on Saturday (05:00 GMT on Friday) by the ship's captain.
The authority said it would work with other relevant agencies to investigate the case and that it takes the safety of passengers and crew onboard commercial vessels seriously.
Coral Expeditions chief executive Mark Fifield stated that staff have contacted the woman's family and were offering support over the tragic death. He expressed deep sorrow over the incident and affirmed their commitment to cooperating with the investigation.
The elderly Australian woman is understood to have joined a group hike to the highest peak of the island, Cook's Look, before deciding to rest. A witness, Traci Ayris, recalled seeing a helicopter searching for the woman at around midnight on Saturday, revealing that a group of seven individuals had participated in the search.
The search was ultimately called off around 03:00 local time, and the helicopter returned on Sunday morning when the body was found. Ayris noted that it was distressing for both the crew and passengers, stating, It was very sad in this paradise to have this tragedy occur. It should have been a happy time for that lovely lady.
The woman was on her first stop of a 60-day cruise around Australia, with tickets reportedly costing tens of thousands of dollars. The Coral Adventurer, which caters for up to 120 guests with 46 crew members, is equipped to access remote areas of Australia's coastline, utilizing small boats for passenger excursions.
Queensland police have stated that a report will be prepared for the coroner regarding the woman's sudden and non-suspicious death.
The woman had been hiking on Lizard Island, 250 km (155 miles) north of Cairns, with fellow passengers from the Coral Adventurer cruise ship on Saturday but is believed to have broken off from the group to have a rest.
The ship left the island around sunset but returned several hours later after the crew realised the woman was missing. A major search operation found the woman's body on Sunday morning.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said it is investigating and will meet the ship's crew when it docks in Darwin later this week.
A spokesperson for AMSA said it was first alerted to the missing woman at around 21:00 local time on Saturday (05:00 GMT on Friday) by the ship's captain.
The authority said it would work with other relevant agencies to investigate the case and that it takes the safety of passengers and crew onboard commercial vessels seriously.
Coral Expeditions chief executive Mark Fifield stated that staff have contacted the woman's family and were offering support over the tragic death. He expressed deep sorrow over the incident and affirmed their commitment to cooperating with the investigation.
The elderly Australian woman is understood to have joined a group hike to the highest peak of the island, Cook's Look, before deciding to rest. A witness, Traci Ayris, recalled seeing a helicopter searching for the woman at around midnight on Saturday, revealing that a group of seven individuals had participated in the search.
The search was ultimately called off around 03:00 local time, and the helicopter returned on Sunday morning when the body was found. Ayris noted that it was distressing for both the crew and passengers, stating, It was very sad in this paradise to have this tragedy occur. It should have been a happy time for that lovely lady.
The woman was on her first stop of a 60-day cruise around Australia, with tickets reportedly costing tens of thousands of dollars. The Coral Adventurer, which caters for up to 120 guests with 46 crew members, is equipped to access remote areas of Australia's coastline, utilizing small boats for passenger excursions.
Queensland police have stated that a report will be prepared for the coroner regarding the woman's sudden and non-suspicious death.
