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An extensive two-month voyage around the Australian Coast has been cancelled in the wake of the tragic passing of an older woman who was left behind by the vessel on a distant coastal location.

The elderly woman had been hiking on Lizard Island with other travelers from the Coral Adventurer, but separated from the party for a rest. The liner sailed away leaving her and went back several hours later after the crew realised the lady was missing.

A major search operation discovered her remains the following day.

Authorities are looking into the tragedy, in coordination with police and the official investigator.

Chief Executive of the voyage organizer announced that guests and staff on the Coral Adventurer were told that the remainder of the journey had been cancelled due to the "tragic passing and earlier engine troubles".

In a statement, he added that passengers would be issued a total repayment, and said the operator was working "to organize the return journeys of the individuals via specially arranged planes".

Officials also published an revised communication, and said they had "issued a notice to the Master" banning any new passengers from boarding the vessel.

The official said that they would visit the vessel in Cairns upon its coming back.

Timeline of Incidents

The liner originally sailed from Cairns on 24 October, and was merely two days into the voyage at the time of the senior passenger's demise. Lizard Island was the first stop on the itinerary.

Travelers on the ship - who generally pay large sums of money to join the voyage - were ferried there for a daily excursion with the option of walking or snorkeling.

Relatives Response

The daughter of the elderly passenger said that her family was "surprised and distressed that the vessel left Lizard Island after an planned excursion without my parent".

In her statement, she described her mother as an "vigorous octogenarian" who was a affiliate of a hiking group.

"According to scant information we have been provided, it seems that there was a breakdown of attention and ordinary reasoning," she said.

She further stated that she desired the investigation would be able to identify what "the operator should have undertaken that might have protected Mum's existence".

"Based on information from the police that it was a exceptionally warm period, and she became unwell on the mountain ascent," she revealed.

"They requested her to return, without accompaniment. Then the vessel left, reportedly without doing a roll call.

"At some stage in that chain of events, or soon after, she passed away, without company."

Operator Position

In a statement, the Head affirmed that the operator was "working closely with officials to aid their inquiry".

He mentioned that the company was "extremely apologetic that this has transpired" and had offered its total backing to the family.

Shipping Sector Practices

The ship accommodates up to a hundred twenty guests with 46 personnel, according to company details. It was specifically designed to enter isolated locations of the nation's coast and is equipped with "small boats" - minor craft used to transport individuals on land visits.

Events like this are uncommon, and cruise ships have systems to record which individuals are boarding or leaving, according to travel authorities.

"Going ashore secretly or [back] on the ship just isn't an choice," a specialist commented.

Cruise lines consider these procedures with great importance and have "sophisticated systems in place to prevent such occurrences from happening," the authority further stated.

"This is probably a shocking - and tragic - one-off."