Tragic final words of woman, 80, who died after cruise left her behind on island
The daughter of tragic cruise ship traveller Suzanne Rees has revealed her mother's final text message.
Last October, the 80-year-old's death made headlines after she got separated from her luxury Coral Adventurer cruise package around Australia. She was on an organised climb alongside fellow holidaymakers on Lizard Island at the time, neighbouring the Great Barrier Reef.
Fatefully, Suzanne fell ill during the hike and was allegedly asked to make her way back down the mountain all alone. She was never seen alive again.
In a new interview with 60 Minutes, her daughter Katherine Rees recalled what transpired on that terrible day and how communication between the pair could've never foreshadowed what was to unfold.
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"She sent me a text that morning with a photo of the deck, saying: 'Arrived at Lizard Island, going for a hike, and then afternoon swim,'" she shared.
"We had no reason to think that this wouldn't be the most amazing experience. We had no reason to think anything bad would happen."
Suzanne, who was a member of a bushwalking group, had medical check-up before embarking on cruise and was given the all-clear on her health.
"My mum was capable. She walked all the time. And I think what should have happened if it was the conditions were unacceptable, the walk should have been cancelled in the first place," Katherine said.
"Somebody needed to make that decision and say, 'too hot, we're not doing a walk'."
Katherine has since alleged that talks between Coral Expeditions and its owner NRMA have been 'poor' ever since the tragedy, even going as far as to let the family down financially.
'It's like ripping the band aid back off again'
"[Coral Expeditions] mentioned that they would be refunding everyone's passage, but they didn't refund Sue's," the daughter claimed.
"I had to ask them to refund that money. For the trip that she didn't actually get to go on. I was pretty horrified that I actually had to ask. It's like ripping the band aid back off again."
The Lizard Island stop-off was towards the beginning of the two-month voyage, which cost Suzanne a substantial fare of around $52,000 (£39,000).
In a statement obtained 60 Minutes, Coral Expeditions said Suzanne's death was 'devastating'.
It read: "The death of Suzanne Rees on Lizard Island was devastating.
"We are deeply sorry to Ms Rees' family for their loss and the distress and hurt her death has caused.
"While Coral Expeditions had comprehensive safety systems and procedures in place, we acknowledge some of these were not adequately implemented on this tragic day. Ms Rees' death has shocked our people to the core and we will continue to co-operate fully with the ongoing investigations.
"Coral Expeditions has introduced additional systems and procedures to further strengthen protections for our guests."
A traveller count on the vessel in question was seemingly not conducted until 6pm the same day Suzanne went missing. Queensland Police confirmed they were alerted to a missing passenger onboard the ship by Coral Adventurer at 10pm (AEST) and alerted the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's (AMSA) emergency hotline on 25 October.
A rescue helicopter was then launched at 12:45am on Sunday, and Suzanne's body was found that day.
The NRMA said: "We continue to assist the authorities to determine exactly what happened in the lead up to this tragic event, but we do not have access to all of the information available to investigators and it would be inappropriate to pre-empt the outcomes of their investigations.
"However, we acknowledge that some of Coral Expeditions' comprehensive safety systems and procedures were not adequately implemented on this tragic day.
"We recognise many questions remain unanswered, but we believe it is important to respect the investigation process."
LADbible Group has contacted Coral Expeditions for further comment.
Topics: Australia, Travel, Cruise Ship
Dan Seddon