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The daughter of an 80-year-old woman found dead after reportedly being abandoned by her cruise ship recently demanded an investigation into her mother’s death, calling the incident a “failure of care and common sense.”
Suzanne Rees, who was taking part in a 60-day luxury cruise to Australia, was found dead on Sunday after being reported missing on Saturday night.
Rees was last seen on a group hiking tour to Lizard Island, about 200 miles north of Cairns, but did not return to the Coral Adventurer cruise ship – which departed about 6pm on Saturday.
Witnesses said they heard the commotion on the radio and saw the ship return to the island on a vessel tracker.
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The daughter of an 80-year-old woman found dead after allegedly being abandoned by her cruise ship on an Australian island is demanding an investigation into her death. (iStock)
Australia’s national maritime safety regulator, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), told Fox News Digital that it was notified of the incident by the ship at around 10 pm local time on Saturday, prompting AMSA to launch a response.
An AMSA spokesperson said they assisted Queensland Police in the search, and continue to work closely with Queensland authorities, including Queensland Police and WorkSafe Queensland.
“AMSA will assess whether there were any non-compliances related to passengers not being counted onboard and, if necessary, will take action to address them,” the spokesperson wrote in a statement. “AMSA intends to interrogate the ship when it arrives in Darwin. We are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding why the passenger was not cared for during boarding. AMSA extends its condolences to the man’s family and loved ones. Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.”
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Suzanne Rees was on a 60-day luxury cruise in Australia when she was abandoned on Lizard Island and later found dead, her daughter alleges. (Mark Conlin/VW Photos/UIG)
“From what we’ve been told, it appears there was a failure of care and common sense,” Rees’ daughter, Catherine, told ABC Australia.
“What we learned from the police was that it was a very hot day and the mother became ill while climbing the hill. She was asked to go down without any protection,” Katherine told the outlet. “Then the ship departed, apparently without counting the passengers.”
The family reportedly said they are hoping to learn whether Reece’s death could have been prevented.
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The daughter of an 80-year-old woman found dead after allegedly being abandoned by her cruise ship on Lizard Island in Australia is calling for an investigation into her death. (Education Images/UIG)
The Coroner’s Court of Queensland confirmed to the ABC on Wednesday that Rees’ death had been “referred to the coroner for investigation.”
Once the coroner’s investigation is complete, a decision will be made about whether to open an investigation into the death.
AMSA said details regarding the ship’s arrival time and AMSA’s next steps are not available because the investigation is active.
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“The Coral team is in contact with the woman’s family, and we will continue to support them through this difficult process,” Coral Expeditions CEO Mark Fifield reportedly wrote in a statement. “While the incident remains under investigation, we are deeply sorry that this happened and we are offering our full support to the woman’s family.”
According to AMSA, ship operations are regulated under the Australian Navigation Act 2012 and relevant workplace laws.
Fox News Digital’s Pilar Arias contributed to this report.
