The woman, 80, was reportedly walking near the Great Barrier Reef when she went missing and the alarm was raised when she failed to re-board her cruise ship on the Queensland coast
An 80-year-old woman has been found dead on a remote island after she failed to board a her cruise ship in Australia.
The pensioner was understood to be trekking near the Great Barrier Reef off the Queensland coast, on an excursion when she went missing. Her body was recovered from the mountain a day after staff on the vessel raised the alarm. Police say they are not treating the woman’s death as suspicious.
She was enjoying a luxury trip on board the Coral Adventurer cruise ship and vanished as she went exploring the a group. Coral Expeditions head Mark Fifield confirmed the “tragic death” of the passenger in a statement. The company is working closely with authorities to help with the “continuing” investigation, he said.
He said: “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 also confirmed they are preparing a report for the coroner.
Robyn Holmes, the Cook Shire Mayor, told ABC News: “We extend our sincerest condolences to the woman’s family, friends and all those affected by this tragedy. We acknowledge that this is a very distressing time and extend our appreciation to all emergency service personnel and agencies involved.”
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