An 80-year-old Australian woman was found dead on an island in the Great Barrier Reef after being abandoned by the cruise ship she was traveling on.
The woman had been walking on Lizard Island, 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of Cairns, with other passengers from the Coral Adventurer cruise ship on Saturday, but is believed to have separated from the group to rest.
The ship left the island at dusk, but returned several hours later, after the crew realized the woman was missing. A major search operation found his body on Sunday morning. No details have been released.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) said it was investigating and would meet with the ship’s crew later this week.
It is understood that the woman, who has not been named, was on the first stop of a 60-day cruise around Australia, with tickets costing tens of thousands of dollars for the trip.
He had joined a group walk to the island’s highest peak, Cook’s Look, before deciding he needed to rest, according to the Courier Mail newspaper.
But she did not make it back to the ship, which left without her.
Traci Ayris was boating near the island last weekend and told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that she saw a helicopter using a searchlight to search for a walking path on the island around midnight on Saturday.
About seven people with torches went to the island to search, he said, but the search was called off around 03:00 on Sunday (18:00 GMT Saturday) and a helicopter returned on Sunday morning when the body was apparently found.
“We knew she was dead because they called everyone searching immediately,” he told ABC.
“And no one went to the place where the helicopter was flying over until that same day, when the police arrived.”
An Amsa spokesperson said the ship’s captain first alerted about the missing woman at around 9pm on Saturday.
The authority said it would work with other relevant agencies to investigate the case and that it takes the safety of passengers and crew on board commercial vessels seriously.
Ayris also said the incident was clearly distressing for the crew and passengers.
“It was very sad that this tragedy occurred in this paradise. It should have been a happy moment for that lovely lady.”
A report will be prepared for the coroner into the woman’s “sudden and non-suspicious death”, Queensland Police said.
Coral Expeditions chief executive Mark Fifield said staff had contacted the woman’s family and were offering support over the “tragic death”.
“While investigations into the incident continue, we are deeply sorry that this occurred and offer our full support to the woman’s family,” Fifield said.
“We are working closely with Queensland Police and other authorities to support their investigation. We cannot comment further while this process is ongoing,” he added.
The Coral Adventurer can accommodate 120 guests with 46 crew members, according to the company’s website. It was built specifically to access remote areas of the Australian coast and is equipped with “tenders”, small boats used to carry passengers on day trips.
The ship has continued its journey towards Darwin.