Police are investigating the death of an elderly woman who died after failing to reboard a tourist cruise ship on Queensland’s Lizard Island over the weekend.

The 80-year-old solo traveller was part of a Coral Expeditions cruise group visiting the exclusive Great Barrier Reef atoll, located about 27km off Cooktown in far north Queensland.

Authorities are now examining the circumstances of her death, including why the search for the missing woman was delayed for nearly a day and whether she could have been rescued.

It is understood the woman had joined other passengers on the Cook’s Look hiking trail on Saturday when she stopped to rest and was later separated from the group.

A Queensland Police spokeswoman said a report would be prepared for the coroner after the “sudden and non-suspic

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