Cruise ship left 80-year-old woman on Great Barrier Reef island: she was found dead
Kyiv • UNN
Australian authorities are investigating the death of an 80-year-old woman who was left on Lizard Island in the Great Barrier Reef by the cruise ship Coral Adventurer. Her body was found during a search operation after she became separated from her group during a hike.
Australian authorities are investigating the death of an 80-year-old woman who was left on a Great Barrier Reef island by a cruise ship. This is reported by UNN with reference to the BBC.
Details
On Saturday, the woman, along with other passengers of the Coral Adventurer cruise ship, went on a hike to Lizard Island, 250 km north of Cairns, but is believed to have separated from the group to rest.
The ship left the island around sunset but returned a few hours later after the crew realized the woman was missing. The woman's body was found during a large-scale search operation on Sunday morning.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said it was investigating and would meet with the ship's crew when it docks in Darwin later this week.
An AMSA spokesman said the missing woman was first reported by the ship's captain around 9 p.m. local time on Saturday.
The Authority said it would work with other relevant agencies to investigate the matter and that it takes the safety of passengers and crew on board commercial vessels seriously.
Coral Expeditions Executive Director Mark Fifield said staff had contacted the woman's family and offered support in connection with the "tragic death."
While the investigation into the incident is ongoing, we deeply regret that this happened and offer our full support to the woman's family.
According to the Courier Mail, the elderly Australian woman was known to have joined a group hike to the island's highest peak, Cook's Look, before deciding she needed to rest.
Tracey Ayres was swimming near the island last weekend and told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that around midnight on Saturday she saw a helicopter using a spotlight to search a hiking trail on the island.
She said about seven people with flashlights went to the island to search, but the search was called off around 3:00 a.m. local time, and the helicopter returned on Sunday morning when the body was found.
We knew she was dead because they immediately called everyone back from the search. And no one approached the spot where the helicopter hovered until the police arrived later that day.
Ayres said the incident clearly upset the crew and passengers.
It was very sad in this paradise that this tragedy happened. It was supposed to be a happy time for this beautiful lady.
The woman is believed to have been on the first stop of a 60-day cruise around Australia, with tickets costing tens of thousands of dollars.
The Coral Adventurer can accommodate up to 120 guests with 46 crew members, according to the company's website. It was custom-built to access remote areas of the Australian coast and is equipped with "tenders" – small boats used to transport passengers on day excursions.
Queensland Police said a report would be prepared on the woman's "sudden and non-suspicious death."
Addition
More than 200 passengers on the Queen Mary 2 cruise ship were infected with norovirus during a transatlantic voyage from the UK to the US. Due to the outbreak of the virus, it was decided to turn the ship back.