Suzanne Rees sent a heartbreaking final message before she was accidentally left behind on a remote island during a luxury cruise.

According to the The Guardian, Suzanne Rees, of New South Wales, had joined a hiking party on Lizard Island in Australia with some other passengers on October 25, 2025. When it came time to get back on the Coral Adventurer cruise, however, she was missing.

Lizard Island, on the Great Barrier Reef, was the first stop in the 60-day cruise around Australia.

Before her death, Suzanne sent what would become her final message to her daughter, Katherine. Speaking to 60 Minutes, Katherine reportedly recall receiving a text from her mother that morning.

“She sent me a text that morning with a photo of the deck, saying: ‘Arrived at Lizard Island, going for a hike, and then afternoon swim’,” Katherine said, according to VT.

“We had no reason to think that this wouldn’t be the most amazing experience. We had no reason to think anything bad would happen.”

The ship left without her

According to Katherine, her mother became unwell during the organized hike, and stopped to rest. Suzanne was reportedly told to make her own way back after falling behind the group. She had paid approximately $21,600 for the two-month voyage, which had departed only one day before her death.

By the time crew members realized she was missing, the vessel had already returned to sea. The ship eventually turned around and arrived back at the island at around 2 a.m. the following day.

Katherine later told The Australian: “Then the ship left, apparently without doing a passenger count. At some stage in that sequence, or shortly after, Mom died, alone.”

The incident sparked an investigation into Coral Expeditions’ safety procedures after the company failed to identify Suzanne’s absence during a routine headcount.

“Shocked and saddened”

Katherine said police arrived at her home and asked whether her mother was there, and that’s when she realized something was wrong. She criticized communication between Coral Expeditions and its owner, NRMA, following Suzanne’s death.

After learning that other passengers would be refunded, Katherine said she was forced to request a refund for her mother’s fare herself.

“[Coral Expeditions] mentioned that they would be refunding everyone’s passage, but they didn’t refund Sue’s. I had to ask them to refund that money. For the trip that she didn’t actually get to go on,” Katherine said, according to VT.

“I was pretty horrified that I actually had to ask. It’s like ripping the band aid back off again”

She also said her family had been left “shocked and saddened” by the circumstances surrounding Suzanne’s death and described the situation as a “failure of care and common sense.”

Coral Expeditions issued a statement

According to Katherine, her mother was not reported missing until 6 p.m. on the day the ship departed the island.

In a statement provided to 60 Minutes, Coral Expeditions expressed condolences to Suzanne’s family and acknowledged shortcomings in how its safety procedures were carried out.

“We are deeply sorry to Ms Rees’ family for their loss and the distress and hurt her death has caused.

“While Coral Expeditions had comprehensive safety systems and procedures in place, we acknowledge some of these were not adequately implemented on this tragic day.

“Ms Rees’ death has shocked our people to the core, and we will continue to co-operate fully with the ongoing investigations.

“Coral Expeditions has introduced additional systems and procedures to further strengthen protections for our guests.”

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