Elderly Cruise Passenger Found Dead After Being Left Behind on Great Barrier Reef Island
An 80-year-old Australian woman has died after being accidentally left behind on Lizard Island, a remote part of the Great Barrier Reef, during the first leg of a luxury cruise around the country.
The woman, who has not been named, was a passenger on the Coral Adventurer, a small expedition ship operated by Cairns-based Coral Expeditions. She had joined other guests on a guided hike to the island’s highest point, Cook’s Look, on Saturday. Partway through, she reportedly decided to stop and rest while the group continued.
When the ship departed later that evening, no one realised she wasn’t on board. Authorities say the vessel sailed off before the alarm was raised at around 9 p.m., when the captain contacted the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) to report a missing passenger.
A late-night search began immediately, with helicopters and small boats scouring the island. Police confirmed that her body was found the following morning. Her death has been described as “sudden and non-suspicious,” and a report is being prepared for the coroner.
The tragedy has sparked questions over passenger safety procedures during shore excursions. AMSA said it is investigating “the circumstances surrounding why the passenger may not have been accounted for during boarding” and will assess whether any safety rules were breached.
Marine scientist Dr. Adam Smith from James Cook University called the case an “absolute tragedy” and said it exposed weaknesses in how passengers are tracked once they leave the ship. “From the shore, there’s less direct supervision,” he said. “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.”
AMSA regulations require passenger vessels to have headcount systems in place to ensure no one is left behind, both on land and at sea. Gareth Phillips, CEO of the Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators, said the industry was committed to maintaining strict safety standards. “All marine operators are not only committed but also legally required to have strict passenger-verification procedures in place for both in-water and on-land activities,” he said.
Coral Expeditions CEO Mark Fifield said the company was “deeply sorry that this has occurred” and confirmed that staff were offering full support to the woman’s family. “The Coral team have been in contact with the woman’s family, and we will continue to offer support to them through this difficult process,” he said. He added that the company was cooperating fully with authorities. “We are working closely with Queensland Police and other authorities to support their investigation,” he said.
The Coral Adventurer, which carries 120 passengers and 46 crew, was on a 60-day, $80,000 voyage around Australia when the incident happened. It has since continued its route toward Darwin, where AMSA officials plan to meet with the crew to review what went wrong. They are expected to arrive in Darwin on November 2nd.
