MELBOURNE, Australia — An 80-year-old woman was discovered dead on a Great Barrier Reef island after being accidentally left behind by the crew of a cruise ship. Suzanne Rees, a resident of Sydney, was on a cruise around Australia when she was abandoned on Lizard Island last Saturday. Her daughter, Katherine Rees, criticized Coral Expeditions for what she described as a "failure of care and common sense" that led to her mother’s tragic death.

Suzanne Rees had disembarked the Coral Adventurer to hike with other passengers to a mountain lookout. The ship departed the island approximately five hours before her absence was reported late Saturday. Katherine Rees expressed her shock, stating, "We are shocked and saddened that the Coral Adventurer left Lizard Island after an organised excursion without my Mum."

According to Katherine, her mother felt unwell during the hike and was instructed to return to the ship without an escort. The ship reportedly left without conducting a passenger count. "At some stage in that sequence, or shortly after, Mum died, alone," Katherine added.

The following day, a search helicopter located Suzanne Rees' body about 50 meters off the hiking trail. Reports suggest she may have fallen from a cliff or slope. Katherine Rees hopes a coroner's inquiry will reveal what actions could have been taken to prevent her mother's death.

Authorities confirmed that a coroner will investigate the incident, which has been classified as a "non-suspicious death." Coral Expeditions' CEO, Mark Fifield, stated that the company is fully cooperating with the investigation. He expressed condolences to the Rees family, saying, "We have expressed our heartfelt condolences to the Rees family and remain deeply sorry that this has occurred."

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is also looking into why Suzanne Rees was not accounted for during the boarding process at Lizard Island. Additionally, a workplace safety watchdog is conducting its own investigation. Suzanne Rees was first reported missing when she did not show up for dinner on the ship.

This incident has raised concerns about safety standards in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef tourism industry, which faced scrutiny following the 1998 case of American couple Tom and Eileen Lonergan, who were abandoned at sea during a scuba diving trip. Their bodies were never recovered after the crew failed to notice they were missing for two days.