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One two-month journey through the Australian Coast is being halted in the wake of the death of an elderly lady who was stranded by the ship on a distant island.

The elderly woman had been hiking on the remote island with other travelers from the vessel, but parted ways from the excursion for a rest. The ship departed without her and went back later that day after the personnel became aware the lady was unaccounted for.

A large-scale hunt found her body the subsequent day.

Officials are investigating the event, together with police and the state coroner.

Chief Executive of the shipping company said that passengers and crew on the ship were told that the remainder of the voyage had been called off due to the "unfortunate death and prior engine troubles".

In a statement, he mentioned that travelers would be given a full refund, and said the operator was working "to organize the return journeys of the travelers via chartered flights".

Authorities also issued an latest statement, and said they had "provided a order to the Master" prohibiting any new passengers from getting on the ship.

The representative said that they would inspect the liner in Cairns upon its arrival.

Chronology of Events

The liner first departed the coastal city on October 24th, and was merely two days into the journey at the moment of the 80-year-old's passing. The remote island was the first stop on the journey.

Guests on the ship - who usually pay tens of thousands of dollars to join the voyage - were ferried there for a shore visit with the choice of trekking or snorkeling.

Family Reaction

The daughter of the deceased woman said that her relatives was "surprised and distressed that the vessel left the location after an organised excursion without my mother".

In her statement, she described her mother as an "energetic elderly person" who was a participant of a bushwalking group.

"From the little facts we have been told, it seems that there was a breakdown of responsibility and ordinary reasoning," she stated.

She continued that she hoped the examination would be able to pinpoint what "the organization should have performed that might have saved Mum's existence".

"We understand from the police that it was a extremely warm afternoon, and mum fell ill on the hill climb," she explained.

"They requested her to head down, alone. Then the boat left, reportedly without performing a headcount.

"During some point in that process, or not long after, mum died, alone."

Operator Response

Through an announcement, the Chief Executive affirmed that the organization was "working closely with investigators to aid their inquiry".

He stated that the firm was "very regretful that this has occurred" and had offered its full support to the relatives.

Shipping Sector Practices

The liner serves up to 120 travelers with forty-six crew, according to corporate details. It was specifically designed to reach distant areas of the nation's coastline and is fitted with "auxiliary vessels" - compact vessels used to transport passengers on shore trips.

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

"Leaving covertly or [back] aboard just isn't an choice," an authority stated.

Shipping companies take these procedures very seriously and have "sophisticated systems in place to stop such events from occurring," the expert added.

"This is probably a stunning - and tragic - isolated incident."