The captain of a luxury cruise ship that left behind an 80-year-old passenger before she died on an island allegedly refused to speak to cops searching for her.
Suzanne Rees was found dead on Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef, in Far North Queensland, on Sunday after the $80,000-a-ticket voyage departed without her.
The island was the first stop of a 60-day circumnavigation of Australia, which was being run by NRMA’s Coral Expeditions.
Ms Rees had been hiking in sweltering conditions with fellow passengers from the Coral Adventurer, but became separated from the group for a rest, and was left behind by the cruise ship Coral Adventurer.
Her family claim the captain was not in contact with search and rescue authorities as they looked for Ms Rees, The Australian reported.
Coral Expeditions is understood to dispute this claim.
Queensland Police declined to comment on whether the Coral Adventurer captain had cooperated with the police search coordinator.
Katherine Rees said her mother fell ill during an organised hill climb and was asked to travel back down the mountain, unescorted.
Australian grandmother Suzanne Rees was found dead on Lizard Island Saturday after the $80,000-a-ticket voyage left without her
The island in Far North Queensland was the first stop of a 60-day circumnavigation of Australia
The ship returned several hours later after the crew realised the woman was missing, but it was too late
'Then the ship left, apparently without doing a passenger count. At some stage in that sequence, or shortly after, mum died, alone,' she said.
The ship returned several hours later after the crew realised the woman was missing, but it was too late. A major search operation found her body the following day.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is investigating the incident, alongside Queensland Police and the state Coroner.
In a statement released by AMSA on Saturday, it said it had issued a notice to the master of Coral Adventurer prohibiting any new passengers from boarding the ship.
Coral Expeditions chief executive Mark Fifield said passengers and crew on the Coral Adventurer were told on Wednesday the remainder of the voyage had been cancelled due to the 'tragic passing of Suzanne Rees and previous mechanical issues'.
He added passengers would be issued a full refund, and the company was working 'to co-ordinate the return journeys of the passengers via chartered flights'.
It's understood Ms Rees was not reported missing until about 6pm on Saturday night when she failed to arrive for dinner, five hours after she was allegedly left behind.
Ms Rees's body was found 50m off the hiking trail that leads to Lizard Island's highest summit, Cook's Look, on Sunday.
Maritime safety officials will meet the 112-passenger Coral Adventurer (pictured) when it docks in Darwin on Sunday
Pictured: A helicopter is seen on Lizard Island during search efforts over the weekend
Her death came just one day after the Coral Adventurer set off from Cairns on Friday afternoon.
The ship had anchored off Lizard Island on Saturday, where passengers could take a smaller boat to hike and snorkel on the resort island, 90km north-east of Cooktown.
Yachtie Traci Ayris and her partner Matthew, who were aboard SV Vellamo anchored near Lizard Island, were listening to emergency radio transmissions sent from the Coral Expeditions vessel.
'They did headcounts for snorkellers (which we heard) but not for other guests on the island it would seem,' Ms Ayris told the Cairns Post.
'The last people came down from the track and got into tender then the (ship) left very soon after that.
'There was not a lot of time between when the last passengers left the beach to when they up-anchored. We even commented, 'Wow they left fast'.'
The first the family heard from the cruise company, Coral Expeditions, was six hours after Ms Rees’s body was found.
AMSA officials will meet the 112-passenger Coral Adventurer when it docks in Darwin on Sunday.
Coral Expeditions confirmed Ms Rees's death to the Daily Mail.
Ayris and her partner Matthew (pictured), who were aboard SV Vellamo anchored near Lizard Island, were listening to emergency radio transmissions sent from the Coral Expeditions vessel
'The crew notified authorities that a woman was missing, and a search and rescue operation was launched on land and sea,' Mr Fifield said.
'Following the operation, Coral Expeditions was notified by Queensland Police that the woman had been found deceased on Lizard Island.
'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.
'The Coral team has 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.'
Popular with divers, snorkellers and hikers, Lizard Island is one of the most remote tourism destinations on the Great Barrier Reef.
Cook's Look is the highest point on the island and follows the footsteps of British explorer Captain James Cook, who is believed to be the first European to have trekked up the mountain in 1770 after his ship Endeavour struck a reef.
'It covers four kilometres and at times is very steep so we recommend medium to high fitness and agility to safely undertake this hike,' the Lizard Island website states.
'Due to the time it takes to hike and the heat of the day, it is recommended that you hike early in the morning.
'Those that have done this hike say it is challenging but incredibly rewarding.'