Daughter criticises Australia cruise operator after mother dies on island

Katherine Rees said her mum, 80, had fallen ill during a hike on a remote Australian island and was told to return to the ship by herself.

Watch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListTo the Ends of The Earth EarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoBBC MaestroLiveLive NewsLive SportDocumentariesHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesWeatherNewslettersWatch LiveCruise operator 'failed' woman who was left on island and died, family says13 hours agoShareSaveLana LamSydneyShareSaveSuppliedSuzanne Rees was found dead hours after her cruise boat left Lizard IslandThe daughter of a woman who was left behind by a cruise ship on a remote island and later found dead has accused the operator of a "failure of care and common sense".

The body of Suzanne Rees, 80, was found by rescue workers on Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef on Sunday. The day before, she had been hiking on the island with her fellow passengers but was not on the ship when it left hours later.

Katherine Rees said she was "shocked and saddened" that the Coral Adventurer left "without my mum", whom she described as healthy, active, a keen gardener and bushwalker.

"From the little we have been told, it seems that there was a failure of care and common sense," she said on Thursday.

It's understood that Suzanne Rees, from New South Wales, was on the first stop of a 60-day cruise around Australia, which had left Cairns earlier this week.