How much misfortune can one cruise ship have? After being accused of leaving an elderly woman to die on a private island, a cruise ship went aground on its first trip since.
The Coral Adventurer, located in Australia, smashed into a reef off the coast of Papua New Guinea on December 27. At least 120 passengers had been on board. But fortunately, no one was hurt.
"Coral Adventurer had a grounding incident in coastal Papua New Guinea yesterday. All passengers and crew are safe," a spokesperson for the company said. "An initial inspection indicates no damage to the vessel. The incident has been reported to authorities and will undergo further official inspections to the hull and marine environment as a standard procedure."
Passengers sought lodging in Papua New Guinea. The crew is busy trying to free the Coral Adventurer and check for damage to the cruise ship. Currently, the company is under investigation in the death of 80-year-old Suzanne Rees. Rees died after being left on Lizard Island. The ship departed without her.
Cruise Ship Mishaps
Rescue crews later found her body the next day on the island.
Rees' daughter Katherine said, "We understand from the police that it was a very hot day, and mom fell ill on the hill climb. She was asked to head down, unescorted. Then the ship left, apparently without doing a passenger count. At some stage in that sequence, or shortly after, mom died, alone. I hope that the coronial inquiry will find out what the company should have done that might have saved mom's life."
Mark Fifield, CEO of Coral Expeditions, released a statement after the death of the woman.
He said, "Coral Expeditions can confirm the tragic death of a passenger on the Coral Adventurer during an excursion to Lizard Island in Queensland. On Saturday, October 25, the crew notified authorities that a woman was missing, and a search and rescue operation was launched on land and sea. Following the operation, Coral Expeditions was notified by Queensland Police that the woman had been found deceased on Lizard Island."
