Daughter blames cruise operator after 80-year-old discovered useless on distant Australian island | EUROtoday

The daughter of an aged girl who died on a distant Australian island after being left behind by her cruise ship has accused the operator of “failure of care and common sense”.

Eighty-year-old Suzanne Rees was collaborating in a 60-day cruise round Australia and was on the second day of the journey when she disembarked together with another passengers at Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef to hike up the island’s highest peak.

Her daughter, Katherine Rees, has since tried to piece collectively the sequence of occasions on Saturday on the cruise ship Coral Adventurer.

Rees reportedly turned unwell throughout the trek.

“From the little we have been told, it seems that there was a failure of care and common sense,” she mentioned.

“We understand from the police that it was a very hot day, and Mum felt ill on the hill climb. She was asked to head down, unescorted. Then the ship left, apparently without doing a passenger count. At some stage in that sequence, or shortly after, Mum died, alone.”

Katherine mentioned the household was “shocked and saddened that the Coral Adventurer left Lizard Island after an organised excursion without my mum, Suzanne”.

When the Coral Adventurer departed the island later that afternoon, nobody on board appeared to understand that Rees had not returned. Her physique was found the next day throughout an aerial and floor search coordinated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) and Queensland police.

In a press release, the security authority mentioned: “Amsa will make an assessment as to whether there was any non-compliance associated with the passenger not being counted onto the ship and, if necessary, will take action to address them.

“Amsa offers its condolences to the family and loved ones of the person who has passed. Our thoughts are with them during this difficult time.”

The daughter described her mom as an “active 80-year-old” who loved gardening and bushwalking.

Satellite monitoring knowledge indicated that the ship initially sailed away from Lizard Island earlier than turning again later that evening. Authorities had been notified of the lacking passenger round 9pm native time on Saturday, prompting a search that concluded early Sunday when Rees’s physique was discovered on the island.

Coral Expeditions’ chief govt, Mark Fifield, mentioned: “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.”

Ms Rees has known as for a coronial inquiry into her mom’s dying. “I hope that the coronial inquiry will find out what the company should have done that might have saved Mum’s life.”