By Aisling Brennan and Cindy Wockner, ABC
A Coral Adventurer ship. Photo: Facebook / Coral Expeditions
Authorities are investigating how a cruise ship allegedly left behind an 80-year-old Australian woman who was later found dead on a Queensland tropical island.
A widescale search was launched on Saturday night after the woman was reported missing hours after the Coral Adventurer cruise ship visited Lizard Island, off the coast of Cooktown, 320 kilometres north of Cairns.
Her body was recovered on Sunday.
A helicopter searches for the missing cruise ship passenger on Lizard Island on Sunday, October 26. Photo: ABC / Supplied / Traci Ayris
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority [AMSA] confirmed it was investigating the incident and intended to speak with the crew when the cruise ship arrived in Darwin in the coming days.
The woman had been on a group hiking tour of Lizard Island, but did not return to the ship, which was seen departing the surrounding waters around sunset between 6pm and 7pm.
Emergency services, with the assistance of Nautilus Aviation helicopters, were called just before midnight when the crew became aware the woman was not on board.
Rob Siganto, who owns the South Pacific II fishing and charter boat, was moored near Lizard Island at the weekend and said he saw the Coral Adventurer depart.
Siganto told the ABC that about 11:30pm or midnight, a helicopter arrived at the island and was searching.
"We heard the conversation on the radio. They were looking for someone and the last known location was halfway up the hill," Siganto said.
He said the helicopter radioed that the crew had not found anything, was out of fuel and needed to return to Cairns.
At first light the next morning, when Siganto awoke, he said the Coral Adventurer was back at Lizard Island.
Photo: ABC News
Traci Ayris, who is currently sailing in the area, was also woken around midnight on Saturday to the sound of a helicopter using its spotlight to scan the trail to Telstra Rock on Cook's Look walk.
"We knew that someone was missing and then we saw the Coral Adventurer heading back to Lizard [Island] on our AIS tracker," Ayris said.
"When it arrived [between 1am and 2am on Sunday] they sent a crew of seven to shore with torches. They searched until about 3am, then the search was called off until first light when the chopper would return."
Traci and Matthew Ayris on Lizard Island. Photo: ABC / Supplied / Traci Ayris
Ayris said the helicopter returned about 9:30am and found the woman's body "right away", but she was not recovered until later that day.
"We knew she was dead because they called everyone back from the search immediately," she said.
"And no-one went to the spot that the chopper was hovering over until later that day when the police arrived."
A tragedy in paradise
In a statement, Coral Expeditions chief executive Mark Fifield expressed condolences for 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.
A view from Jiigurru (Lizard Island) across Blue Lagoon towards South Island. Photo: ABC / Supplied / Sean Ulm
Ayris said the entire scene was distressing for everyone involved.
"We all felt so much for the Lizard Island Resort crew and the crews from [the] ships. You could hear the devastation in their voices [on the radio]," she said.
"It was very sad in this paradise to have this tragedy occur. It should have been a happy time for that lovely lady."
Authorities to investigate
Fifield said the company was working closely with authorities.
"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," Fifield said.
An AMSA spokesperson said it would "attend the vessel upon arrival in Darwin" as part of its ongoing investigation into the incident.
"AMSA is currently liaising and working with other relevant agencies on this matter," the spokesperson said.
"AMSA takes the safety of passengers and crew onboard commercial vessels seriously."
Police are also assisting with the investigation, but said the death was being treated as "sudden and non-suspicious".
In a statement, Tourism Tropical North Queensland said it extended sympathies to the woman's family and "as there is an active investigation we are awaiting further details".
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
- ABC
