Elderly woman left behind by cruise ship on Great Barrier Reef island found dead

Lizard Island is about 250 km (155 miles) north of Cairns

Australian authorities are investigating after an 80-year-old woman who was left behind on a Great Barrier Reef island by a cruise ship was found dead.

The woman had been hiking on Lizard Island, 250 km (155 miles) north of Cairns, with fellow passengers from the Coral Adventurer cruise ship on Saturday but is believed to have broken off from the group to have a rest.

The ship left the island around sunset but returned several hours later after the crew realised the woman was missing. A major search operation found the woman's body on Sunday morning.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said it is investigating and will meet the ship's crew when it docks in Darwin later this week.

A spokesperson for AMSA said it was first alerted to the missing woman at around 21:00 local time on Saturday (05:00 GMT on Friday) by the ship's captain.

The authority said it would work with other relevant agencies to investigate the case and that it takes the safety of passengers and crew onboard commercial vessels seriously.

Coral Expeditions chief executive Mark Fifield said staff have contacted the woman's family and were offering support over the "tragic death".

"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," Fifield said.

The elderly Australian woman is understood to have joined a group hike to the island's highest peak, Cook's Look, before she decided she needed to rest, according to the Courier Mail.

Traci Ayris was sailing near the island last weekend and told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that she saw a helicopter using a spotlight to search a walking trail on the island at around midnight on Saturday.

She said about seven people with torches went to the island to search but it was called off at around 03:00 local time with a helicopter returning on Sunday morning when the body was found.

"We knew she was dead because they called everyone back from the search immediately," she told the ABC.

"And no-one went to the spot that the chopper was hovering over until later that day when the police arrived."

Ayris said the incident was clearly distressing for crew and passengers.

"It was very sad in this paradise to have this tragedy occur. It should have been a happy time for that lovely lady."

It is understood the woman was on the first stop of a 60-day cruise around Australia, with tickets costing in the tens of thousands of dollars for the journey.

The Coral Adventurer caters for up to 120 guests with 46 crew, according to the company's website. It was purpose built to access remote areas of Australia's coast and is equipped with "tenders" - small boats used to take passengers on day excursions.

Queensland police said a report will be prepared for the coroner in the "sudden and non-suspicious death" of the woman.