Woman found dead in Australia’s Lizard Island after losing her way back to cruise ship

An 80-year-old woman was found dead on the remote Lizard Island, a popular tourist destination in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, after getting lost on a hike and failing to return to her cruise ship.

According to the police, the woman, who had been hiking to the island’s highest point, Cook’s Look, with fellow passengers on October 25, but got separated after taking a small break and subsequently losing her way back to the Coral Adventurer cruise ship.

According to a BBC report, the cruise ship’s crew realised that the woman had been missing and returned to the island several hours later after departing sometime around sunset that day.

A search operation was launched and the woman’s body was found the next day.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which is currently investigating the incident, announced that it would interrogate the crew of the cruise ship when it docks in Darwin this week.

Meanwhile, Coral Expeditions CEO Mark Fifield has apologised for the “tragic death”.

“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 was quoted as saying in a statement.

According to the Coral Expeditions’ website, the Coral Adventurer cruise ship can carry a maximum of 120 passengers. It built to access remote areas of Australia’s coast and equipped with “expedition tenders”, small boats that take passengers on day excursions.

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