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Australian authorities are investigating the circumstances that led to the death of an 80-year-old woman who was stranded on a tropical island on the Great Barrier Reef by a cruise ship.
The unnamed woman’s body was discovered on Lizard Island near the Queensland coast on Sunday, with police describing her death as “sudden and non-suspicious”.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said the passenger had recently embarked on a cruise around Australia on the Coral Adventurer when the captain reported her missing at around 9pm local time on Saturday.
Earlier in the day, the small ship had stopped at Lizard Island as part of its itinerary.
According to Australian media reports, the 80-year-old woman is believed to have become separated from other tourists while walking around the island.
AMSA is investigating the incident, including “reasons that may not have been explained to the passenger during boarding.” The investigation will include close cooperation with other agencies.
Officials will meet with Coral Adventurer in the Northern Territory city of Darwin, where the ship is expected to arrive later this week.
Mark Fifield, CEO of cruise line Coral Expeditions, confirmed in a statement that “a passenger on the Coral Adventurer tragically died during a trip to Lizard Island.”
“While the investigation into the incident continues, we deeply regret that this happened and offer our full support to the woman’s family,” he said.
Coral Adventurer cruises accommodate up to 120 passengers and can cost tens of thousands of Australian dollars, according to the company’s website.
