World
Cruise ship allegedly leaves 80-year-old woman behind on island, daughter demands answers after death
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The daughter of an 80-year-old woman found dead after allegedly being abandoned by her cruise ship recently called for a coronial inquest into her mother’s death, calling the incident “a failure of care and common sense.”
Suzanne Rees, who was partaking in a luxury 60-day cruise in Australia, was found dead Sunday after she was reported missing Saturday night.
Rees was last seen on a group hiking tour of Lizard Island, about 200 miles north of Cairns, but did not return to the Coral Adventurer cruise ship—which left at about 6 p.m. Saturday.
Witnesses said they heard commotion on the radio and saw the ship returning to the island on a vessel tracker.
AMY BRADLEY CASE HINGES ON ‘SOMEBODY REMEMBERING’ AS INVESTIGATORS HUNT FOR NEW LEADS 27 YEARS LATER: EXPERT
The daughter of an 80-year-old woman found dead after allegedly being abandoned by her cruise ship on an Australian island is calling for an investigation into her death. (iStock)
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), Australia’s national maritime safety regulator, told Fox News Digital it was notified about the incident by the vessel at about 10 p.m. local time Saturday, prompting AMSA to initiate a response.
An AMSA spokesperson said they assisted Queensland Police in the search, and are continuing to work closely with Queensland authorities, including Queensland Police and WorkSafe Queensland.
“AMSA will make an assessment as to whether there was any non-compliance associated with the passenger not being counted onto the ship and, if necessary, will take action to address them,” the spokesperson wrote in a statement. “AMSA intends to conduct inquiries on board the vessel when it arrives in Darwin. We are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding why the passenger may not have been accounted for during boarding. AMSA offers its condolences to the family and loved ones of the person who has passed. Our thoughts are with them during this difficult time.”
TWO VACATIONERS DROWN AT CARNIVAL’S NEW BAHAMAS PRIVATE ISLAND
Suzanne Rees was on a luxury 60-day cruise in Australia, when she was left behind on Lizard Island and later found dead, her daughter alleges. (Mark Conlin/VW PICS/UIG )
Rees’ daughter, Katherine, told ABC Australia “from the little we have been told, it seems that there was a failure of care and common sense.”
“We understand from the police that it was a very hot day, and Mum felt ill on the hill climb. She was asked to head down, unescorted,” Katherine told the outlet. “Then the ship left, apparently without doing a passenger count.”
The family reportedly said they are hoping to learn if Rees’ death could have been prevented.
IRISH BIKINI DESIGNER FOUND DEAD ON YACHT MONTHS AFTER DIVORCE AND PRIOR LEGAL DISPUTE
The daughter of an 80-year-old woman found dead after allegedly being abandoned by her cruise ship on Lizard Island in Australia is calling for an investigation into her death. ( Education Images/UIG )
The Coroner’s Court of Queensland on Wednesday confirmed to ABC Rees’ death was “referred to the coroner for investigation.”
Once the coroner’s investigation is complete, a decision will be made about launching an inquest into the death.
AMSA said details surrounding the timing of the vessel’s arrival and AMSA’s next steps are not available, as the investigation remains active.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“The Coral team have been in contact with the woman’s family, and we will continue to offer support to them through this difficult process,” Coral Expeditions CEO Mark Fifield reportedly wrote in a statement. “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.”
The operation of the vessel is regulated under the Australian Navigation Act 2012 and relevant workplace laws, according to AMSA.
Fox News Digital’s Pilar Arias contributed to this report.
Iranians mourning the country’s supreme leader condemned U.S. strikes that Washington called retaliation for Iran’s attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. At a tightly controlled state funeral in Mashhad — one of Iran’s most conservative cities, where opponents of the government were unlikely to be found in the crowd — mourners voiced defiance and called for revenge.
World
Beloved musicians among victims in deadly Bahamas plane crash; aviation authority grounds flights
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A devastating double-aviation crisis in the Bahamas, including a deadly North Andros plane crash and a separate aircraft fire on Friday, prompted the government to suspend flight operations for a local airline and launch a federal safety probe.
Shortly after 1 p.m. local time Friday, a Cessna 402 aircraft with Bahamian registration departed Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau bound for San Andros Airport.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) said the plane “encountered difficulties” and crashed into bushes prior to landing.
MISSOURI SKYDIVING PLANE CRASH THAT KILLED ALL 12 ABOARD IS A ‘DEVASTATING LOSS,’ COMPANY SAYS
Authorities said 10 people were killed in a Bahamas plane crash on Friday. (Our News Bahamas via AP)
First responders, including the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Airport Authority and emergency medical personnel, rushed to the dense brush where the aircraft went down.
The Bahamas Musicians and Entertainers Union confirmed in a statement Saturday that 10 people died in the crash, including prominent members of the “The Pond Band” and a local DJ, whose artistry the union said “touched so many lives and helped to enrich the cultural fabric of The Bahamas.”
Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis said a sole survivor was pulled from the wreckage.
“Ann and I are praying for the families who are now facing unbearable grief,” Davis wrote in a statement on X. “We are also praying for the survivor, whose recovery and care will remain in our thoughts.”
EIGHT BELIEVED DEAD AFTER B-52 CRASHES SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE
The identities of those killed in the crash have not yet been released.
While the AAIA’s preliminary reports initially indicated seven people were on board, officials are still establishing the facts of the flight manifest.
Just hours before the fatal crash in North Andros, a Flamingo Air flight en route to Mayaguana was forced to turn back to Nassau after the pilot reported a concern, according to the Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Aviation (MoET).
After the aircraft landed and passengers safely deplaned, the plane caught fire on the runway.
FORMER NFL QB ROBERT GRIFFIN III DESCRIBES HARROWING ENGINE FIRE ON UNITED FLIGHT
FILE – The Civil Aviation Authority Bahamas temporarily suspended Flamingo Air’s Air Operator Certificate following two aircraft incidents Friday. (iStock)
Following the two back-to-back safety incidents, the Civil Aviation Authority Bahamas (CAAB) temporarily suspended Flamingo Air’s Air Operator Certificate, according to MoET officials.
“The suspension is a precautionary safety measure and should not be treated as an adverse compliance action against Flamingo Air,” the agency wrote in a statement.
FILE – The plane crashed in North Andros on Friday after taking off from Lynden Pindling International Airport. (Melissa Alcena/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Investigators from the AAIA and inspectors from the CAAB remain at the scene in North Andros as they work to determine what caused the Cessna 402 tragedy.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Flamingo Air did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Published on •Updated
Moldova’s pro-European President Maia Sandu nominated businessman Vasile Tofan on Saturday as the country’s next prime minister to replace Alexandru Munteanu, who resigned earlier this month over differences with the ruling majority.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
In a video posted to social media, Sandu said Tofan’s primary responsibility, after his candidacy is approved by the country’s parliament, would be to move the country further towards its path of “integration” into the European Union.
He should also “strengthen the resilience of state institutions and society”, and “revive the economy”, added Sandu.
The Moldovan businessman now has two weeks to secure parliamentary backing, a prospect he hopes to achieve after submitting his government programme and his ministerial cabinet nominations.
Tofan had been mentioned as a possible prime minister last year even before the appointment of Munteanu.
Igor Grosu, who heads Sandu’s Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) which won the last parliamentary elections in September, announced on Friday that he had selected him as his candidate to replace the outgoing premier.
He said Tofan shared “the same objectives” as him and PAS, specifying that “EU accession in the years to come, institutional reform and economic growth”, were among the biggest points of agreement.
The nominee for prime minister, who graduated Harvard Business School and turns 44 on Sunday, has a degree in public management from the Netherlands and is a managing partner at Horizon Capital, a private equity firm with assets primarily in Ukraine and Moldova.
He has also chaired the board of directors of Moldova’s Purcari winery, considered the crown jewel of the country’s winemaking sector.
Munteanu, another businessman who like Sandu previously worked at the World Bank, had been chosen to boost the economy and bring it closer to the EU, but turbulence with PAS saw him vacate his post less than a year into holding office.
He resigned on 3 July after less than eight months, stating that he could no longer carry out his mandate “according to (his) principles and (his) convictions”.
The EU last month officially launched a first round of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. Both countries became official EU candidate countries on 23 June 2022.
Additional sources • AFP
-
Miami, FL2 minutes agoSouth Florida businesses report economic boom, as FIFA officials estimate a billion dollar economic impact
-
Boston, MA7 minutes agoForecast: Looking ahead to toasty temps next week
-
Denver, CO14 minutes agoDenver weather: Warming trend continues this weekend and into next week
-
Seattle, WA17 minutes agoTech Investor Vinod Khosla to Acquire the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks for $9.6 Billion
-
San Diego, CA22 minutes agoEndo injury overshadows 2-0 Angel City victory over San Diego – Equalizer Soccer
-
Milwaukee, WI29 minutes agoIndyCar drivers make a pit stop at the Milwaukee Mile
-
Atlanta, GA32 minutes agoMan Blames Diet Drug After Gunning Down Police Officer and New Dad at Point Blank Range | Oxygen
-
Minneapolis, MN37 minutes agoINTERVIEW: 87th Minneapolis Aquatennial
