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Australian authorities are investigating the circumstances that led to the death of an 80-year-old woman who was left behind on a tropical island in the Great Barrier Reef by a cruise ship.
The body of the unnamed woman was found on Sunday on Lizard Island near the coast of Queensland, with police describing her death as “sudden and non-suspicious.”
The passenger, who had recently embarked on a cruise around Australia onboard the Coral Adventurer, was reported missing at around 9pm local time on Saturday by the captain, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said.
Earlier in the day, the small ship had stopped at Lizard Island as part of its itinerary.
The 80-year-old is believed to have separated from her fellow travellers during a walk around the island, according to Australian media reports.
AMSA is looking into the incident, including “the circumstances surrounding why the passenger may not have been accounted for during boarding.” The investigation will involve working closely with other agencies, it said.
Officials from the authority will meet the Coral Adventurer in Darwin, a city in the Northern Territory where the vessel is scheduled to arrive later this week.
In a statement, Mark Fifield, the CEO of the cruise operator Coral Expeditions, confirmed the “tragic death of a passenger on the Coral Adventurer during an excursion to 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,” he said.
According to the company’s website, cruises with the Coral Adventurer, which caters for up to 120 guests, can cost tens of thousands of Australian dollars.