Lizard Island: NRMA-owned Coral Expeditions cruise liner took five hours to raise alarm over now dead woman

A woman who died after being left on a remote island on the Great Barrier Reef was not reported missing for at least five hours after the cruise ship she was meant to have boarded sailed away.

The NRMA-owned Coral Expeditions cruise liner only raised the alarm after the elderly tourist failed to attend her dinner sitting following a day trip to Lizard Island off the coast of Queensland.

Alerts were raised and staff began scouring the ship for the the 80-year-old woman from NSW, who was found dead 50 metres off the hiking trail at Cook’s Look on the island on Saturday afternoon.

All available emergency services were engaged in the search, with Queensland Police, the state coroner, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority all now involved in the investigation into her death.

Initial reports from police suggest the alarm was not raised for more than five hours following the ships departure from its mooring off the small island 27km off Cooktown in far north Queensland.

It is understood the woman stopped to rest and was later separated from the group.

The Australian reported the ship first raised the alarm at 10pm Queensland-time, when staff on board the ship alerted AMSA’s Canberra-based 24/7 emergency hotline, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre, stating they believed she may have fallen overboard.

The Coral Adventurer was the turned around, and a group of crew members were sent ahead in a tender to conduct a night search for the woman.

“The woman was reported missing to the police on 25 October, after failing to board a vessel in waters off Queensland earlier on Saturday,” Queensland Police confirmed.

Coral Expeditions CEO Mark Fifield told The Nightly the company has confirmed the tragic death of a passenger during an excursion to Lizard Island.

“On Saturday, 25 October, the Crew notified authorities that a woman was missing, and a search and rescue operation was launched on land and sea,” he said.

“Following the operation, Coral Expeditions was notified by Queensland Police that the woman had been found deceased on Lizard Island”.

Mr Filfeild noted that while investigations into the incident are continuing, they feel deeply for the woman’s family.

“We are deeply sorry that this has occurred and are offering our full support to the woman’s family,” he said.

“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.

“We are working closely with Queensland Police and other authorities to support their investigation. We are unable to comment further while this process is underway.”

A source told The Australian the elderly woman was “struggling” on the hike because it was very hot with 30C temperatures and 63 per cent humidity on the day.

“She said she couldn’t go on, and that she was going to go back down to the boat,” the source added.

Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators CEO Gareth Phillips told The Australian all operators were legally required to have strict passenger verification procedures for “both in-water and on-land activities”.

“First and foremost, our thoughts and heartfelt condolences go out to the family and everyone affected,” he said.

“Safety has always been, and will remain, our number one priority.

“All marine operators are not only committed but also legally required to have strict passenger verification procedures in place for both in-water and on-land activities, as part of their Workplace Health and Safety protocols and Maritime Safety Management Systems.

“The operator involved in this tragedy is a longstanding and highly respected business within our industry, known for maintaining exceptional safety standards and a strong safety record.

“The company is co-operating fully with authorities during the ongoing investigation.

“As an industry, we remain committed to working closely with all relevant authorities to ensure the highest possible safety standards are upheld.”

Lizard Island, surrounded by coral reefs and popular with divers and hikers, is part of a 1013-hectare national park and one of the most remote tourism destinations on the Great Barrier Reef.