An 80-year-old woman was discovered deceased on a secluded island after she did not rejoin her cruise ship in Australia.

The elderly individual was reportedly hiking near the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland during an excursion when she went missing. Her body was located on the mountain a day later following an alert from the vessel’s staff. Authorities have stated that they do not consider the woman’s death suspicious.

A large-scale search operation by sea and land was initiated before her body was located. The woman was on a luxurious journey aboard the Coral Adventurer cruise ship and went missing while exploring the area. She was part of a 60-day trip around Australia, with the cost of such extravagant voyages averaging around $80,000 (£39,000).

Mark Fifield, the head of Coral Expeditions, confirmed the “tragic death” of the passenger on Lizard Island in a formal statement. The company is collaborating closely with authorities to assist in the ongoing investigation.

Fifield said, “The crew alerted authorities about a missing woman, leading to a search and rescue operation on land and sea. Subsequently, Queensland Police informed Coral Expeditions that the woman was found deceased on Lizard Island.”

“While inquiries into the incident are ongoing, we deeply regret this occurrence and are providing full support to the woman’s family. Our team has been in touch with the family and will continue to offer assistance during this challenging time.”

“We are in close coordination with Queensland Police and other relevant agencies to aid in their inquiry. We are refraining from further comments until the investigation progresses.” Police have confirmed that they are preparing a report for the coroner.

According to a source cited by The Australian, the woman was part of a group hiking the steep Cook’s Look trail on the island on Saturday afternoon when she needed to pause. Allegedly, the group proceeded without her.

Robyn Holmes, the Mayor of Cook Shire, expressed condolences to the woman’s family, friends, and all those impacted by the tragedy. She acknowledged the distressing nature of the situation and commended the emergency services and agencies involved.