A devastated family say they are still searching for answers six months after an 81-year-old woman died on Lizard Island after being left behind on a cruise holiday.
Suzanne Rees paid $30,000 for the adventure of a lifetime aboard Coral Adventurer.
She came ashore for a four-kilometre guided hike with fellow passengers but somehow was left behind when the group left the island. It wasn’t until five hours later that Ms Rees was declared missing. Her body was discovered the following day.
Speaking to Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes programme, her daughter Kate Rees says her mother texted her when the ship arrived at the island in Queensland.
“She sent me a text that morning with a photo of the deck saying, ‘Arrived at Lizard Island, going for a hike, and then afternoon swim.’ And that was the last time I heard from her,” she told 60 Minutes.
“We had no reason to think that this wouldn’t be the most amazing experience. We had no reason to think anything bad would happen.”
A statement from Coral Expeditions called the death of Ms Rees “devastating”.
“While Coral Expeditions had comprehensive safety systems and procedures in place, we acknowledge some of these were not adequately implemented on this tragic day,” the statement continued.
“Ms Rees’ death has shocked our people to the core and we will continue to co-operate fully with the ongoing investigations.
“Coral Expeditions has introduced additional systems and procedures to further strengthen protections for our guests.”
An investigation into the tragedy is continuing.
