Lizard Island cruise: Coral Expeditions insider alleges staff shortages, pressure before Suzanne Rees’ death

Coral Expeditions has rejected new allegations that have emerged about the days leading up to a passenger’s death after being left stranded on Lizard Island.

Suzanne Rees was left behind on Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef after she broke off while hiking with a group of fellow passengers from the Coral Adventurer cruise ship.

The Coral Adventurer was just two days into its voyage, after departing Cairns on October 24 and then arriving at Lizard Island, its first stop. An insider has claimed the Coral Expeditions cruise was marred by staff shortages and management pressure in the days leading up to the tragedy.

The source, who wishes to remain anonymous, told The Advertiser that the 60-night voyage circumnavigating Australia was delayed for about a week before departure due to mechanical problems.

“The whole trip was a mess,” the insider said.

“They spent the first week of the trip docked in Cairns because someone on board pressed the wrong button and carked the engine.”

They alleged the delay left the vessel short-staffed after several crew were unable to make the new sailing date and claimed “head office” put “so much pressure on everyone to do everything really quickly” once the cruise was underway.

A spokesperson for Coral Expeditions confirmed with The Nightly that the vessel was delayed for several days due to mechanical issues, but also clarified that the rescheduled cruise did leave on time.

According to the insider, the shortage of team members on the ship particularly affected the ship’s expedition crew, which is the group responsible for escorting passengers during their on and off-ship activities.

That lack of personnel, they claimed, meant there were no crew members stationed at the rear of the group during the Lizard Island hike, when Ms Rees fell ill and left the group unescorted.

“There was no one at the back to even notice she’d departed the hike,” they said.

“There were some people snorkelling and some hiking, there should be four crew with both groups, and I think there were two.”

A Coral Expeditions spokesperson rejected the allegations.

“Coral Expeditions has been conducting cruises for more than 40 years. Staffing levels on the Coral Adventurer - and for the Lizard Island walk - were entirely consistent with previous cruises and in line with regulatory and operational requirements,” they told The Nightly.

The insider also alleged that the manifest check, which is the process used to account for all passengers after an off-ship excursion, was rushed.

“They were in a rush and when they rechecked the manifest, no one could tell if it was a smudge or if it was a tick next to Ms Rees’s name,” they said.

“They just saw something there and left”, the source told The Advertiser.

The source claimed one crew member had previously raised concerns with management about the Lizard Island hike being unsuitable for elderly passengers.

“It is famously quite a dangerous excursion for older people,” they said.

“It shouldn’t have been offered if it’s not safe.”

They also alleged the vessel did not turn back toward Lizard Island until several hours after Ms Rees was discovered missing.

The insider shared that the crew has been left shaken after the incident.

Coral Expeditions said that they would not comment further while the official investigation is underway.