A woman in her 80s has been found dead after failing to board a cruise ship anchored off an island in the Great Barrier Reef.
Queensland police confirmed the woman had died on Lizard Island, about 240km from Cairns. Her death was described as “sudden and non-suspicious”.
“The woman was reported missing to the police on 25 October, after failing to board a vessel in waters off Queensland earlier on Saturday,” police said in a statement. “A report will be prepared for the coroner.”
The 80-year-old was a passenger on Coral Expeditions cruise ship the Coral Adventurer, which had just embarked on a 60-night cruise circumnavigating Australia. Fares for the full voyage start in the tens of thousands of dollars.
The ship, which can accommodate up to 120 passengers across 60 suites and rooms, left Cairns on Friday morning, according to ship tracking website VesselFinder.
Cruise ship tracking website CruiseMapper showed the vessel was off Cape York in the Torres Strait on Tuesday afternoon.
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In a statement, the Coral Expeditions’ CEO, Mark Fifield, acknowledged the “tragic death of a passenger on the Coral Adventurer during an excursion to Lizard Island”, saying crews had notified authorities the woman was missing on Saturday.
“A search and rescue operation was launched on land and sea. Following the operation, Coral Expeditions was notified by Queensland police that the woman had been found deceased on Lizard Island.
“While investigations into the incident are continuing, we are deeply sorry that this has occurred and are offering our full support to the woman’s family.”
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) said it was aware of the incident and was making inquiries. Officers will meet the vessel upon its expected arrival in Darwin later this week.
