Tragedy Struck on Remote Australian Island as Cruise Ship Left Passenger Behind, Daughter Demands Answers
In a heart-wrenching case of neglect and incompetence, an 80-year-old woman was left behind by her luxury cruise ship while hiking on a remote island in Queensland, Australia. Suzanne Rees, from Sydney, disembarked the Coral Adventurer at Lizard Island with other passengers, but failed to board the vessel before it departed that afternoon. Her body was later discovered.
Rees' daughter, Katherine, expressed shock and sadness at her mother's disappearance, stating that there was a "failure of care and common sense" in the incident. According to Katherine, her mother had felt unwell on the hill climb but was asked to head down alone without an escort. The ship left Lizard Island without conducting a passenger count, leaving Suzanne Rees behind.
The cruise company, Coral Expeditions, has acknowledged the "tragic death of a passenger" and expressed their condolences to the family. However, Katherine demands answers, hoping that the coronial inquiry will reveal what the company could have done to prevent her mother's tragic fate.
Satellite tracking data shows that the ship turned around twice before returning to Lizard Island on Sunday morning. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is investigating why the passenger was not accounted for during boarding and plans to board the ship in Darwin.
The incident raises serious concerns about the safety and care of passengers, particularly those who are elderly or vulnerable. As one bereaved family member so poignantly put it, "There should have been a system in place to ensure that everyone boarded the ship safely." The tragedy highlights the need for improved protocols and oversight in the cruise industry.
The price of this tragic incident? A whopping $86,400 per person for a balcony room on the 120-guest cruise. While Coral Expeditions has offered support to the family, many are left wondering how such a catastrophic failure could have occurred. As Katherine Rees said, "I hope that the coronial inquiry will find out what the company should have done that might have saved Mum's life."
In a heart-wrenching case of neglect and incompetence, an 80-year-old woman was left behind by her luxury cruise ship while hiking on a remote island in Queensland, Australia. Suzanne Rees, from Sydney, disembarked the Coral Adventurer at Lizard Island with other passengers, but failed to board the vessel before it departed that afternoon. Her body was later discovered.
Rees' daughter, Katherine, expressed shock and sadness at her mother's disappearance, stating that there was a "failure of care and common sense" in the incident. According to Katherine, her mother had felt unwell on the hill climb but was asked to head down alone without an escort. The ship left Lizard Island without conducting a passenger count, leaving Suzanne Rees behind.
The cruise company, Coral Expeditions, has acknowledged the "tragic death of a passenger" and expressed their condolences to the family. However, Katherine demands answers, hoping that the coronial inquiry will reveal what the company could have done to prevent her mother's tragic fate.
Satellite tracking data shows that the ship turned around twice before returning to Lizard Island on Sunday morning. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is investigating why the passenger was not accounted for during boarding and plans to board the ship in Darwin.
The incident raises serious concerns about the safety and care of passengers, particularly those who are elderly or vulnerable. As one bereaved family member so poignantly put it, "There should have been a system in place to ensure that everyone boarded the ship safely." The tragedy highlights the need for improved protocols and oversight in the cruise industry.
The price of this tragic incident? A whopping $86,400 per person for a balcony room on the 120-guest cruise. While Coral Expeditions has offered support to the family, many are left wondering how such a catastrophic failure could have occurred. As Katherine Rees said, "I hope that the coronial inquiry will find out what the company should have done that might have saved Mum's life."
. Can't imagine being in those shoes of Suzanne's daughter, feeling helpless and wanting answers. The fact that they didn't even do a proper headcount on Lizard Island is just mind-boggling... like, how do you forget someone? 
And the price tag to boot - $86k for a cruise?! Outrageous! I hope those responsible get held accountable and there's some serious reform in place to prevent this kind of thing from happening again. Satellite tracking data shows they even turned back TWICE before coming back... what were they thinking? 
Safety should be everyone's top priority, especially on a luxury cruise where people are trusting their lives to the company.
. And the price for this "luxury" experience? $86,400?! That's just crazy 
. I'm all for some safety measures and protocols being put in place, but this incident feels more like a case of incompetence rather than negligence.
omg this is just insane... left behind on a remote island like that's not how you treat ppl especially elderly passengers... $86k for a balcony room while her mom is dead 
satelitte tracking data shows they turned back twice and still managed to leave someone behind??! Katherine Rees is right, there should've been a system in place to ensure everyone gets on safely... this is just so sad and frustrating 
her mom was 80 and alone on a hill climb, what if she needed help? it's just so irresponsible. i hope the coronial inquiry gets to the bottom of this and makes some real changes in the cruise industry 
is just horrific. i'm all for giving people their freedom to hike and explore, but not at the cost of human life 
. and seriously what was going on with the ship turning around twice before heading back? it's like they were trying to avoid checking if she was on board or something 
. i hope that coronial inquiry gets to the bottom of this and some real changes are made. our elderly and vulnerable citizens deserve so much better 
$86,400 for a balcony room? It's like they're more worried about making a profit than people's lives 
.
. I hope the coronial inquiry sheds some light on what went wrong and that justice is served 
this is just so messed up... like what kind of operation leaves a passenger behind on a remote island? 
anyway, i'm all for a good coronial inquiry and some serious changes to the cruise industry. safety should be everyone's top priority, not some fancy hotel room price tag 
. And the fact that they left her alone after she said she was feeling unwell? 
That's negligence, plain and simple.
The coronial inquiry needs to get to the bottom of this and make sure something like this never happens again. 
The fact that the ship didn't even bother to do a headcount before leaving makes my blood boil. I don't know what kind of protocols are in place at Coral Expeditions, but clearly they need to be overhauled ASAP. 
It's just not right that someone like Suzanne Rees has to pay the ultimate price for this company's incompetence. 
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. And what really gets my goat is that some people are already making excuses and downplaying it as "common sense" 
. This kind of tragedy should never happen again 
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. This incident highlights the lack of accountability in the cruise industry and it needs to change ASAP 
. The safety of passengers, especially vulnerable ones like the elderly, must be a top priority in this industry 