🔗 Share this article

An extensive two-month journey around the Australian Coast was terminated in the wake of the tragic passing of an older female passenger who was abandoned by the vessel on a distant island.

The elderly woman had been trekking on Lizard Island with other travelers from the vessel, but separated from the excursion for a pause. The liner departed without her and went back after some time after the ship staff became aware the passenger was not present.

An extensive search operation discovered her body the subsequent day.

Officials are examining the incident, in coordination with law enforcement and the official investigator.

The CEO of the voyage organizer said that travelers and staff on the ship were told that the continuation of the journey had been called off due to the "tragic passing and earlier technical problems".

Through an announcement, he mentioned that guests would be given a full refund, and said the organization was working "to coordinate the return journeys of the travelers via chartered flights".

Officials also published an revised announcement, and said they had "provided a order to the Master" banning any new passengers from getting on the ship.

The representative said that they would inspect the liner in Cairns upon its return.

Timeline of Incidents

The ship originally sailed from Cairns on the 24th of October, and was just two days into the journey at the point of the elderly woman's passing. Lizard Island was the first stop on the itinerary.

Guests on the ship - who usually pay tens of thousands of dollars to participate in the voyage - were ferried there for a daily excursion with the option of hiking or snorkeling.

Relatives Statement

The child of the elderly passenger said that her relatives was "surprised and distressed that the liner left Lizard Island after an scheduled excursion without my parent".

Via her announcement, she characterized her parent as an "energetic 80-year-old" who was a affiliate of a hiking group.

"Based on limited facts we have been informed, it looks that there was a failure of responsibility and basic judgment," she said.

She added that she desired the inquiry would be able to pinpoint what "the operator should have undertaken that might have saved Her life".

"Based on information from the investigators that it was a exceptionally warm period, and she became unwell on the hill climb," she explained.

"Officials suggested her to return, alone. Then the vessel sailed away, reportedly without conducting a headcount.

"At some stage in that process, or not long after, mother succumbed, without company."

Operator Response

Via official communication, the CEO affirmed that the company was "collaborating extensively with investigators to aid their inquiry".

He mentioned that the firm was "deeply sorry that this has occurred" and had offered its full support to the relatives.

Cruise Industry Procedures

The ship accommodates up to a hundred twenty passengers with 46 crew, according to official data. It was purpose-built to enter remote areas of the nation's coast and is outfitted with "tenders" - small boats used to take travelers on day excursions.

Occurrences of this nature are uncommon, and cruise ships have protocols to document which individuals are boarding or getting off, according to maritime specialists.

"Leaving covertly or [back] onboard really isn't an possibility," a specialist stated.

Shipping companies take these methods extremely carefully and have "clever tech in place to stop such occurrences from occurring," the expert continued.

"This is presumably a shocking - and sad - single occurrence."