Suzanne Rees was found dead on a remote island after she was left behind by a cruise ship. Now, nearby passengers have recalled chillingly hearing the emergency alerts on the radio
Passengers who sailed near the cruise ship that tragically left a grandmother behind on a remote island, have shared harrowing details of how the day unfolded.
Suzanne Rees, 80, went missing during the first stop on Coral Adventurer’s 60-day circumnavigation of Australia. The lone tourist had been on an organised hike on Lizard Island, on the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia, on Saturday, but fell ill.
While she lay stricken, the cruise ship set sail for its next destination. The traveller was only reported missing when she failed to turn up for dinner, around five hours after she disappeared.
READ MORE: Agonising unanswered questions in mystery of tourist who died after cruise ship left herREAD MORE: Tourist found dead after cruise ship leaves without her pictured as family break silence
A helicopter eventually led an aerial search above Lizard Island, and the 112-passenger ship reportedly returned to shore with crew members who are believed to have assisted with the search. Ms Rees’ body was discovered 50 metres off the hiking trail that leads to Lizard Island’s highest peak, Cook’s Look, on Sunday.
The Coral Adventurer had only set sail from Cairns for the trip on Friday afternoon and had anchored off Lizard Island on Saturday. Here, passengers could take a smaller boat to hike and snorkel on the resort island, 90km (55miles) northeast of Cooktown.
Passengers, Yachtie Traci Ayris and her partner Matthew, were on board SV Vellamo while it was anchored near Lizard Island when they chillingly heard emergency radio signals sent from Coral Expeditions’ ship.
“They did headcounts for snorkellers (which we heard) but not for other guests on the island, it would seem”, Ayris told Cairns Post. “The last people came down from the track and got into tender then the (ship) left very soon after that.”
She added: “There was not a lot of time between when the last passengers left the beach to when they up anchored. We even commented, ‘Wow they left fast’.”
The family of Ms Rees has slammed the “failure of care and common sense” by Coral Expeditions, owned by the National Roads and Motorists’ Association (NRMA) in Australia, which operates the 60-day cruise and costs passengers £40,000 per person.
A multi-agency investigation will delve into how and why Ms Rees did not make it back onto the ship, including allegations that a passenger count was not conducted before the vessel departed.
Coral Expeditions’ CEO Mark Fifield confirmed the tragic news to the press. He stated: “The crew notified authorities that a woman was missing, and a search and rescue operation was launched on land and sea. Following the operation, Coral Expeditions was notified by Queensland Police that the woman had been found deceased on Lizard Island.
“While investigations into the incident are continuing, we are deeply sorry that this has occurred and are offering our full support to the woman’s family
“The Coral team has been in contact with the woman’s family, and we will continue to offer support to them through this difficult process.
“We are working closely with Queensland Police and other authorities to support their investigation. We are unable to comment further while this process is underway.”
Police are also assisting with the investigation, but said the death was being treated as “sudden and non-suspicious”. In a statement, Tourism Tropical North Queensland extended its sympathies to the woman’s family and stated, “as there is an active investigation, we are awaiting further details”. A report will be prepared for the coroner.
The Mirror has contacted Coral Expeditions for further comment.