An elderly woman was left lost and alone on a tropical island after the cruise ship she arrived on left without her.
A major search and rescue mission was launched for the 80-year-old Australian woman, which ended with her lifeless body being found.
“So sad, poor lady would have been scared,” one commented online.
An elderly woman was abandoned on a tropical island by the same cruise ship she arrived on
The elderly woman had boarded the Coral Adventurer cruise for a 60-day journey from Cairns on Friday, October 24.
She and fellow passengers disembarked the ship the very next day for the cruise’s first stop on a Great Barrier Reef island.
Reports said the vessel arrived at Lizard Island at around 9:30 a.m., and smaller boats were offered to passengers who wanted to go hiking and snorkeling.
Officials confirmed that the elderly woman joined a group of hikers on a 2.5-mile trail to Cook’s Look, the island’s highest peak.
The now-deceased passenger, however, had struggled to keep up with the group and decided to take a rest at some point.
She broke off from the group and journeyed back all by herself, while fellow hikers went on without her.
The elderly woman joined a group of hikers to the island’s highest peak, but struggled to keep up
Later in the day, the Coral Adventurer cruise resumed its journey and left the island at around 3:40 p.m.
It was only at around 6 p.m. during dinner time that fellow passengers and crew members realized the elderly woman was missing.
The ship returned to the island at around 8:40 p.m., shortly after which a search and rescue operation was launched.
Traci Ayris, who was sailing near the island over the weekend, said it was clear “someone was missing” when the cruise ship returned to Lizard Island.
“They sent a crew of seven to shore with torches” in the wee hours of Sunday, she told ABC News Australia.
“They searched until about 3 a.m., then the search was called off until first light when the chopper would return,” she added.
“It was very sad in this paradise to have this tragedy occur. It should have been a happy time for that lovely lady,” a witness said
Traci said the helicopter came back to the island in the daytime and found the woman’s body “right away.”
It was clear she had passed away, said the witness, who had her sailing yacht anchored in the bay where the deceased passenger was last seen.
Despite her body being found, the corpse was only retrieved hours later when police officers arrived.
“She lay there all day until the police arrived by plane, then she was airlifted at 3:42 p.m. off the hillside,” Traci told 7NEWS.
She called it a distressing situation for everyone involved.
“It was very sad in this paradise to have this tragedy occur. It should have been a happy time for that lovely lady,” Traci added.
An investigation into the woman’s passing is currently underway
Police deemed the woman’s passing as “sudden and non-suspicious.”
Meanwhile, the cruise ship continued on its journey to Darwin as planned.
Coral Expeditions CEO Mark Fifield said their team has been in touch with the deceased woman’s family and is offering support through “this difficult process.”
“We are working closely with Queensland Police and other authorities to support their investigation,” the CEO added. “We are unable to comment further while this process is under way.”
Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said they would investigate the cruise ship when it docks in Darwin next week
A spokesperson for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said the woman’s passing is being investigated, and events that unfolded on the ship would also be probed after the vessel reaches Darwin next week.
“AMSA is currently liaising and working with other relevant agencies on this matter,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
“AMSA takes the safety of passengers and crew onboard commercial vessels seriously,” added the statement.
Marine scientist Adam Smith, an adjunct professor at James Cook University, called the incident an “absolute tragedy.”
He suggested the “buddy system” to prevent incidents like these in the future, especially when aged travelers are involved.
An expert recommended the “buddy system” to prevent such incidents in the future
“Older people can have a heart attack or a stroke or walk away from an area, but having the protocols in terms of checklists and buddies certainly should prevent that in future,” he told ABC News Australia.
He also asserted the importance of commercial passenger vessels monitoring passengers and having some form of headcounts to ensure nobody is missing.
“Why leave her, when she was resting, surely one person could have stayed, irresponsible,” one commented online
