Elderly woman found dead after being left behind on remote reef island – Australia
A disquisition is underway in Australia after a senior woman in her eighties, who was reportedly left behind by a voyage boat on Lizard Island( Queensland), was found dead.
The incident occurred off the seacoast of the Great Hedge Reef, with the vessel involved being the passage boat Coral Adventurer, operated by Coral Peregrinations.
The 80- time-old rubberneck had joined a group hike to the islet’s loftiest point, Cook’s Look, but is believed to have broken off from the others to rest.
The voyage boat left around evening and only realized the passenger was missing several hours later. A hunt was initiated, and her body was set up the following morning.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority( AMSA) has verified it’s probing the matter and plans to solicit the boat’s crew when the vessel jetties in Darwin later this week.
A prophet said authorities intend to work with applicable agencies and emphasized the significance of passenger and crew safety aboard marketable vessels.
Meanwhile, Mark Fifield, chief executive of Coral Expeditions, said: “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.”
He added that the company has been in contact with the family and is cooperating with authorities.
Search efforts began late on Saturday night, after the absence of the passenger was noted. A helicopter deployed at midnight scanned the walking trail.
By early Sunday morning, the ship returned to the island, and the woman’s body was located. One witness said, “We knew she was dead because they called everyone back from the search immediately.”
And: “It was very sad in this paradise to have this tragedy occur. It should have been a happy time for that lovely lady.”
Queensland Police will prepare a report for the coroner, describing the death as “sudden and non-suspicious”.
Questions have been raised about the cruise company’s shore-excursion protocols, especially how passengers are accounted for when leaving the ship for land-based activities.
AMSA regulations require drivers to have systems allowing the master of the vessel to determine the number of passengers on board at any given time.
Experts say hiking passages tend to rely more on passenger discretion than snorkeling excursions, which are generally rigorously supervised.
This incident shines a limelight on passage sails to remote destinations, the isolated terrain, rudiments of physical exertion, and the need for robust safety systems for reinforcement conditioning.
For voyage companies, the capability to care for every passenger at all times is critical. For trippers, it’s a memorial that indeed, in paradise, caution is needed.
