Coral Adventurer, a luxury Australian cruise ship, has cut short its current voyage. This decision follows an extreme case a few months ago when an 80-year-old passenger was accidentally abandoned on Lizard Island. This unfortunate event unfolded shortly after the ship departed Cairns on October 30, 2025, at 8:30 PM, and raised serious concerns about the safety protocols in place for passengers.
The Coral Adventurer arrived at the western side of Lizard Island on October 31, 2025, at 9:30 AM. At one point during the day, passenger Suzanne Rees started to feel ill. Consequently, she was forced to scratch her anticipated climb to the island’s volcanic summit. Despite being advised to head back to the ship unescorted, Rees was not accounted for when the vessel departed Lizard Island for the second time at 3:40 PM the same day, tracking north-westerly towards Cape Melville.
Five hours later, Rees’s friends reported her missing, and a massive land-and-sea search-and-rescue operation got under way. A follow up investigation found issues with communication as to her whereabouts while boarding.
The Coral Adventurer making an unexpected U-turn between Barrow Reef and Unison Reef, just offshore of Cape Melville National Park. Now, it’s on the way south to Lizard Island. The ship arrived at Lizard Island again on November 1, 2025, at 10:25 AM, just hours after passing the point where it had previously turned around on November 1 at 4:15 AM. This return, of course, was issued in response to the current criminal investigations into Rees’ death.
Mark Fifield, a spokesperson for the Coral Adventurer, said they were “devastated” by the incident.
“Following the tragic passing of Suzanne Rees and previous mechanical issues, the decision had been made to cancel the remainder of the voyage,” – Mark Fifield
The company pointed to a long standing commitment to safety and quality guest experiences.
“Delivering high quality experiences to our guests,” – Mark Fifield
AMSA is currently conducting an active investigation into why Rees wasn’t accounted for in boarding. So too, are the steps they’re taking to ensure that such tragedies never happen again.