The pensioner who died on a remote island in Australia after she was abandoned by her cruise ship has been pictured and named for the first time.
Suzanne Rees, an 80-year-old from New South Wales, Australia, died on Lizard Island on Saturday.
Loved ones have revealed they are remembering her as a keen bushwalker and gardener following her death.
The grandmother, who was travelling solo, was on the remote island as the first stop of a 60-day, $80,000 (£40,000) trip around Australia.
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A multi-agency investigation has been opened into Ms Rees's death after she was allegedly left behind by the NRMA-owned Coral Expeditions cruise ship.
Her daughter Katherine said her mother became ill while taking part in an organised climb to the island's highest summit, Cook's Look, and was asked to travel back to the foot of the mountain alone.
She told The Australian: "Then the ship left, apparently without doing a passenger count. At some stage in that sequence, or shortly after, Mum died, alone."
She added that her family was "shocked and saddened" to learn their grandmother had allegedly been left behind due to a "failure of care and common sense".
Suzanne Rees died on Lizard Island on Saturday
It is understood that the pensioner was not reported missing until around 6pm on Saturday when she failed to arrive for dinner, five hours after she had allegedly been left behind.
Ms Rees' body was found on Sunday, 50 metres away from the hiking trail leading to Cook's Look.
Her death fell just one day after the Coral Adventurer started its journey, having left Cairns, Queensland on Friday afternoon.
On Saturday, the ship anchored off Lizard Island allowing passengers to take a smaller boat to snorkel or hike on the resort island.
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The woman died on Lizard Island, a very remote island off the coast of Far North Queensland | GETTYYachtswoman Traci Ayris and her partner Matthew, who were on board SV Vellamo also anchored in the area, listened to emergency radio transmissions from the Coral Adventurer.
She told the Cairns Post: "They did headcounts for snorkellers but not for other guests on the island it would seem.
"The last people came down from the track and got into the 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'."
According to online tracking on Vessel Finder, the cruise ship sailed back towards Lizard Island at around 9pm on Saturday and arrived at around 2am on Sunday.
Ms Ayris confirmed a helicopter began an aerial search of the island at around midnight, and seven crew members from the Coral Adventurer went ashore and walked the summit by torchlight until 3am.
The search then resumed at first light.
She continued: "The chopper arrived at first light and it went directly to Telstra Rock [where she was last seen] and immediately it hovered then went straight to the air strip.
"We knew that it had found her and the lack of activity told us that she was clearly dead."
The Coral Adventurer cruise ship was launched in 2019 and has a capacity of up to 120 passengers | CORAL EXPEDITIONSOn Sunday, Australian Maritime Safety Authority officials are set to meet the 112-passenger Coral Adventurer when it docks in Darwin.
The ship is currently in the Torres Strait off Thursday Island as it continues its journey.
Coral Expeditions confirmed Ms Rees's death to the Daily Mail.
Chief Executive Mark Fifield said: "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."
Lizard Island is one of the most remote tourist destinations in the Great Barrier Reef and is popular with divers, snorkelers and hikers.
According to the 2021 census, Lizard, the offshore locality which consists of multiple islands including Lizard Island, has a population of 65 people.
The island was named by Captain James Cook in 1770, who said: "The only land animals we saw here were lizards and these seemed to be pretty plenty, which occasioned my naming the island Lizard Island."
Cook's Look, the highest point on the island, was named after the British explorer who climbed the peak in order to map his way through the surrounding maze of reefs.
The Lizard Island website said: "It covers four kilometres and at times is very steep so we recommend medium to high fitness and agility to safely undertake this hike.
"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."
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