80-year-old woman dies after cruise ship leaves, voyage cancelled

An 80-year-old woman died on Lizard Island off the Queensland coast after a cruise ship departed the island without her on Saturday, prompting a police and maritime safety investigation and the cancellation of the voyage. Authorities said the woman, identified by family as Suzanne Rees of Sydney, disembarked from the Coral Adventurer on the first full day of a 60-day circumnavigation of Australia and was reported missing that night after she failed to reboard.

Queensland Police said Rees was hiking with other passengers toward the island high point known as Cooks Look when she separated from the group and returned toward the vessel on her own. The Coral Adventurer departed around sunset, and it was only after the ship had left that crew members raised the alarm. A search launched overnight located Rees on Sunday; police described her death as sudden and nonsuspicious. No official cause of death has been released and it remains unclear when she died.

Coral Expeditions said the ship had notified authorities once the woman was reported missing and that a search and rescue operation was launched on land and sea. In a statement, chief executive Mark Fifield said the company had been...