An elderly woman, aged 80, was discovered deceased on Lizard Island, a well-known tourist spot within Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, after going missing during a hike and failing to return to her cruise ship. The woman had been trekking with other passengers towards Cook’s Look, the island’s highest point, on October 25. Unfortunately, she became separated from the group after a brief pause and subsequently lost her way back to the Coral Adventurer cruise ship.
Upon realizing that the woman was missing, the cruise ship’s crew headed back to the island several hours later, having departed around sunset that day. A search operation was promptly initiated, leading to the discovery of the woman’s body the following day. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is actively investigating the incident and plans to question the cruise ship’s crew upon its arrival in Darwin this week.
In response to the tragic event, Coral Expeditions CEO, Mark Fifield, expressed his apologies, stating, “While investigations are ongoing, we deeply regret this unfortunate occurrence and extend our full support to the woman’s family.” The Coral Adventurer cruise ship, as detailed on the Coral Expeditions website, has a capacity of up to 120 passengers. It is designed to access remote coastal areas of Australia and is equipped with expedition tenders for day excursions.