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A two-month voyage around Australia has been cancelled days after the death of an senior female passenger who was left behind by the vessel on a remote coastal location.

The elderly woman had been hiking on the remote island with other travelers from the vessel, but separated from the party for a rest. The ship departed without her and went back after some time after the ship staff discovered the passenger was unaccounted for.

A large-scale rescue mission discovered her person the subsequent day.

Investigative bodies are examining the tragedy, in coordination with investigators and the medical examiner.

Chief Executive of the shipping company stated that passengers and crew on the Coral Adventurer were informed that the rest of the cruise had been cancelled due to the "tragic passing and earlier mechanical issues".

Through an announcement, he further stated that passengers would be issued a full refund, and said the operator was working "to arrange the homeward trips of the travelers via chartered flights".

Authorities also published an latest statement, and said they had "delivered a directive to the Commander" prohibiting any new passengers from boarding the liner.

The official said that they would visit the liner in the port city upon its coming back.

Sequence of Events

The ship originally sailed from Cairns on October 24th, and was only 48 hours into the voyage at the moment of the senior passenger's passing. Lizard Island was the initial destination on the journey.

Travelers on the vessel - who usually pay large sums of dollars to participate in the cruise - were transported there for a shore visit with the choice of trekking or snorkelling.

Family Response

The offspring of the victim said that her relatives was "surprised and saddened that the ship left Lizard Island after an organised outing without my mother".

Through her comments, she described her parent as an "energetic octogenarian" who was a participant of a walking organization.

"Based on limited facts we have been provided, it appears that there was a breakdown of responsibility and basic judgment," she said.

She added that she desired the investigation would be able to pinpoint what "the company should have performed that might have preserved Mother's existence".

"Based on information from the investigators that it was a extremely warm day, and mother became unwell on the mountain ascent," she explained.

"Officials suggested her to return, alone. Then the boat departed, seemingly without performing a roll call.

"At some stage in that sequence, or not long after, she died, alone."

Company Reaction

Through an announcement, the CEO verified that the operator was "collaborating extensively with authorities to assist their inquiry".

He mentioned that the company was "extremely apologetic that this has happened" and had offered its complete assistance to the family.

Cruise Industry Standards

The ship accommodates up to a hundred twenty travelers with 46 staff, according to corporate details. It was specifically designed to enter isolated locations of the nation's coast and is equipped with "small boats" - compact vessels used to take individuals on shore trips.

Incidents like this are infrequent, and liners have protocols to track which travelers are getting on or leaving, according to maritime specialists.

"Leaving covertly or [back] onboard just isn't an option," a specialist remarked.

Shipping companies consider these processes extremely carefully and have "clever tech in place to prevent such occurrences from taking place," the expert added.

"This is presumably a shocking - and sad - one-off."