A luxury Australian cruise has been cancelled and is undergoing investigation after an 80-year-old female passenger was left behind on a remote island and died alone. The incident occurred when the vessel, the Coral Adventurer, visited Lizard Island as part of a 60-day circumnavigation of Australia.
The passenger, identified as Suzanne Rees, became unwell during a scheduled hike to the summit of Cook’s Look on Lizard Island and returned early, unescorted. Her daughter, Katherine Rees, told reporters her mother had felt ill and was asked to head down from the walk alone. She never returned to the ship.
The ship arrived at Lizard Island on 25 October and departed at 3.40 pm that day. It was only around eight hours later that anyone realised Suzanne Rees was missing — for five hours there was no alert to authorities. A land and sea search-and-rescue operation was launched, but Rees was found dead the following morning.
In the wake of the tragedy, the operating company, Coral Expeditions, announced that the remainder of the voyage would be cancelled, citing the “circumstances of the last week” and saying it could no longer guarantee the promise of “high-quality experiences” for its guests.
Meanwhile, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority has issued a notice to the master of the Coral Adventurer prohibiting the embarkation of any new passengers and is investigating why Rees may not have been accounted for when the vessel departed the island.
Katherine Rees described her family as “shocked and saddened” that the ship had left without her mother. On her behalf and that of the operator, condolences were issued to the family. Passengers aboard the cruise were told they would receive full refunds and arrangements were made for their return by chartered flights.
The death and subsequent actions by the cruise company raise serious questions about passenger safety protocols, excursion oversight and emergency response mechanisms on remote island visits. The Coral Adventurer’s itinerary, which included remote and isolated locations such as Lizard Island in the Great Barrier Reef region, required strict coordination of shore excursions, passenger trackers and timely accounting of every guest before the vessel’s departure. In this case, that system appears to have failed.
With investigations ongoing, the incident has broader implications for expedition-style cruising in remote destinations. The combination of adventurous off-ship excursions, older passengers with health vulnerabilities and limited on-island support highlights the risk potential. For the family of Suzanne Rees, the tragic outcome serves as a reminder of the human cost when safety procedures fall short.
The cruise operator’s swift decision to cancel and the maritime authority’s prohibition on new passengers underscore the gravity of the situation. Findings from the investigation will likely inform future regulations and operational standards for cruise excursions in remote and fragile environments.
