An 80-year-old Australian woman has been found dead on a Great Barrier Reef island after being left behind by the cruise ship she was travelling on.
The woman had been hiking on Lizard Island, 250km (155 miles) north of Cairns, with fellow passengers from the Coral Adventurer cruise ship on Saturday but is believed to have broken off from the group to have a rest.
The ship left the island around sunset but returned several hours later after the crew realised the woman was missing. A major search operation found her body on Sunday morning. No details have been released.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) said it was investigating and would meet the ship's crew later this week.
It is understood the woman, who has not been named, was on the first stop of a 60-day cruise around Australia, with tickets costing in the tens of thousands of dollars for the journey.
She had joined a group hike to the island's highest peak, Cook's Look, before she decided she needed to rest, according to the Courier Mail newspaper.
But she did not make it back to the ship, which then departed without her.
Coral Expeditions chief executive Mark Fifield said staff had contacted the woman's family and were offering support over the tragic death. 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, Mr Fifield said.
The Coral Adventurer caters for up to 120 guests with 46 crew, according to the company's website. It was purpose-built to access remote areas of Australia's coast and is equipped with tenders - small boats used to take passengers on day excursions.
The incident highlights the need for increased safety measures on excursions, as the search and rescue operations were hampered by the late hour and visibility issues. An official report on the circumstances surrounding this sudden and non-suspicious death will be prepared for the coroner, Queensland police confirmed.
