Investigators have boarded an Australian cruise ship more than 10 days after the death of an elderly female passenger who was left behind on a remote island.
Suzanne Rees, 80, had been hiking on Lizard Island with fellow passengers from the Coral Adventurer, but broke off from the group for a rest. The ship left without her, only returning several hours later when the crew realized Ms. Rees was missing.
Officials from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) boarded the vessel on Wednesday morning local time.
AMSA, which is probing the incident alongside Queensland Police and the state coroner, stated it could not comment on the investigation.
The 60-day cruise around Australia, which had cost guests tens of thousands of dollars, was canceled due to Ms. Rees' death, as well as mechanical issues.
The Coral Adventurer was expected to dock at Cairns, where its operator, Coral Expeditions, is based, but a lack of available berths meant it instead dropped anchor a few kilometers north, off the coast of Yorkey's Knob, where it remained on Wednesday morning.
The ship caters for up to 120 guests with 46 crew members and was purpose-built to access remote areas of Australia's coast.
Suzanne Rees' daughter, Katherine Rees, expressed her family's shock and sadness, saying, It seems that there was a failure of care and common sense. She hopes the coroner's inquiry will determine what the cruise company could have done differently to save her mother.
Despite a search and rescue effort, Ms. Rees' body was discovered a day later. The cruise operator, Coral Expeditions, has expressed deep sorrow over the incident and is cooperating with authorities in their investigation.
