Passenger Dies on Shore Trip, Reported Missing After Cruise Ship Departs

 

Australian authorities are investigating the death of a woman who appears to have fallen while on a shore excursion from a cruise ship at Lizard Island, a remote outpost in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef. She was not reported missing right away, and local police are looking into whether she might have been saved if her absence had been noticed sooner. 

According to The Australian, which first reported the accident, the woman was on a hike with a group of passengers from the expedition cruise ship Coral Adventurer on Saturday. She stopped to rest and the group left her behind; at some point thereafter, she appears to have fallen down a cliff. 

At about 1800-1900 hours, the Coral Adventurer was spotted departing the harbor. The crew notified the authrities of the woman's absence at about 2100 hours, the Australian Maritime Safey Authority (AMSA) told the BBC, and local first responders then launched a search. Coral Adventurer returned to Lizard Island in the early hours of Sunday morning and sent crew ashore to help. A helicopter aircrew found the woman's body at about 0930 on Sunday morning, bystander Traci Ayris told ABC. 

Operator Coral Expeditions has confirmed the death of the passenger. "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," said CEO Mark Fifield in a statement. 

AMSA is investigating the casualty and said that it will be interviewing members of the crew upon the vessel's arrival in Darwin. 

Coral Adventurer is a 2019-built expedition cruise ship designed for operations in Australia's coastal waters and reefs. It has space for up to 120 passengers, and it carries two enclosed tenders to enable shore excursions and outings.