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A extended cruise around Australia is being halted in the wake of the fatal incident of an older lady who was left behind by the cruise liner on a distant tropical isle.

The passenger had been walking on Lizard Island with other travelers from the cruise ship, but separated from the party for a rest. The vessel sailed away leaving her and went back after some time after the personnel discovered the passenger was not present.

A major search operation found her person the next day.

Authorities are examining the event, alongside investigators and the official investigator.

Chief Executive of the voyage organizer stated that guests and personnel on the ship were notified that the rest of the voyage had been cancelled due to the "tragic passing and earlier engine troubles".

Via official communication, he added that passengers would be given a total repayment, and said the company was working "to organize the return journeys of the passengers via specially arranged planes".

Authorities also released an latest announcement, and said they had "provided a notice to the Master" prohibiting any additional guests from entering the liner.

The official said that they would inspect the ship in Cairns upon its coming back.

Sequence of Incidents

The ship initially left Cairns on the 24th of October, and was just two days into the expedition at the point of the senior passenger's demise. Lizard Island was the opening port on the journey.

Passengers on the ship - who generally pay tens of thousands of currency to participate in the expedition - were transported there for a day trip with the choice of hiking or underwater exploration.

Relatives Response

The offspring of the elderly passenger said that her relatives was "surprised and saddened that the liner left Lizard Island after an organised excursion without my mum".

Via her announcement, she portrayed her mum as an "active octogenarian" who was a participant of a walking club.

"Based on limited facts we have been provided, it appears that there was a lapse of responsibility and common sense," she stated.

She added that she desired the examination would be able to determine what "the operator should have done that might have saved Mother's life".

"Based on information from the investigators that it was a exceptionally warm period, and she fell ill on the mountain ascent," she revealed.

"They requested her to head down, alone. Then the boat sailed away, reportedly without doing a headcount.

"At some stage in that sequence, or shortly after, she succumbed, alone."

Company Response

In a statement, the Chief Executive affirmed that the organization was "working closely with officials to support their investigation".

He stated that the firm was "very regretful that this has occurred" and had extended its complete assistance to the relatives.

Cruise Industry Standards

The vessel serves up to one hundred twenty travelers with nearly fifty personnel, according to company information. It was specifically designed to enter isolated regions of the Australian coastline and is equipped with "small boats" - minor craft used to take passengers on day excursions.

Events such as this are uncommon, and liners have procedures to document which passengers are embarking or disembarking, according to maritime specialists.

"Going ashore secretly or [back] onboard simply isn't an choice," one expert remarked.

Vessel operators take these procedures very seriously and have "sophisticated systems in place to prevent such incidents from happening," the authority further stated.

"This seems to be presumably a surprising - and sad - single occurrence."