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Lizard Island is about 250km (155 miles) north of Cairns
A 60-day cruise around Australia has been cancelled days after the death of an elderly female passenger who was left behind by the ship on a remote island.
Suzanne Rees had been hiking on Lizard Island with fellow passengers from the Coral Adventurer, but broke off from the group for a rest. The ship left without her and returned several hours later after the crew realised the woman was missing.
A major search operation found her body the following day.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) is investigating the incident, alongside Queensland Police and the state coroner.
The CEO of the cruise operator Coral Expeditions, Mark Fifield, said on Saturday that passengers and crew on the Coral Adventurer were told on Wednesday that the remainder of the voyage had been cancelled due to the “tragic passing of Suzanne Rees and previous mechanical issues”.
He added in a statement that passengers would be issued a full refund, and said Coral Expeditions was working “to co-ordinate the return journeys of the passengers via chartered flights”.
Amsa also released an updated statement on Saturday, saying it had “issued a notice to the Master of Coral Advent
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