Lizard Island offers panoramic views, coral reefs and luxury accommodation on the north Queensland coast
A cruise passenger, aged in her 80s, who had embarked on a 60-day luxury trip around Australia, was found dead after being left behind on a tropical island.
The passenger, whose name was not released, was reported missing to authorities last Saturday night, after checking who was on board the Coral Adventurer cruise ship, where it was discovered that the elderly woman was missing.
The vessel had docked on Saturday morning at Lizard Island, a tourist island about 30 kilometers off the coast of Queensland, known for its natural beauty and luxury accommodation.
Queensland Police confirmed the woman’s body was found on Lizard Island last Sunday, describing the death as “sudden and unsuspicious”.
However, it is not clear when this elderly woman died, nor why no one realized that she was not on board the cruise when it departed from Ilha do Lagarto.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) stated that its ongoing investigation will consider “the circumstances that led to the fact that the passenger was not accounted for during boarding”.
Records show that the Coral Adventurer, with capacity for 120 passengers and 46 crew, had departed the port of Cairns just one day earlier, on October 24.
Lagarto Island was one of the first stops on this cruise, which costs 80 thousand Australian dollars (around 45 thousand euros), taking passengers around the country. It passed the northern tip of Cape York, heading towards the western coast of Australia.
Cruise company Coral Expeditions advertises Lizard Island as a place where passengers can swim, dive, snorkel or hike to “Cook’s Viewpoint” for panoramic views.
It is not yet clear whether the elderly woman participated in any of the announced activities while on the island.
The company has been operating for over 40 years and offers cruises in Australia as well as other destinations. Coral Expeditions chief executive Mark Fifield said in a statement that a search “by land and sea” was launched as soon as the crew discovered the woman was missing.
AMSA has already reported having launched joint searches with Queensland Police, after the ship’s captain reported the woman’s disappearance to authorities at 9pm on Saturday.
Queensland police confirmed that the woman was reported missing “after failing to board a vessel in Queensland waters early on Saturday morning”.
AMSA revealed the crew will be questioned when the ship docks in Darwin. The port schedule indicates that arrival is scheduled for November 2nd.
Fifield, of Coral Expeditions, insisted that the company is “deeply appalled by what has happened.”
