Coral-Adventurer

The 'Coral Adventurer' was successfully refloated on Dec 30 at around 6 p.m. An initial salvage attempt by PacTow’s tug 'Macedon' ( (IMO: 7529811) had failed, after the tug’s engine overheated. The more powerful 'Langila' (IMO: 9018933) was subsequently deployed for this task. After the salvage, the cruise ship dropped anchor near Bugaim in pos. 06° 39' N 147° 51' E, where divers and authorities started to survey the condition of the hull. The salvage was carried out in a multi-agency response using PacTow tugs from Lae. The manoeuvre was started after the passengers aboard were safely evacuated to the chartered Lutheran Shipping ferry 'Ialibu' (IMO: 9795749), which took them 30 kilometers to Lae to board a repatriation flight to Cairns. 78 of the passengers were international tourists, while the remaining five included a female PNG Customs officer, a male PNG shipping agentbased in Madang, and three off-duty crew members of the cruise ship, who were due for end-of-year leave. There were no injuries amongst thepassengers or the 43 crew members. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has despatched investigators to the ship, which were being guarded by local Water Police, who had also proved an escort forthe 'Ialobo'. The force provided land and water security. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has detained the vessel in accordance with the Navigation Act 2012, based on reasonable suspicion that it was not seaworthy due to potential damage sustained during the grounding, and that was is sub-standard as a result of failures in the implementation of its Safety Management System under the International Safety Management Code. The 'Coral Adventurer' remained stationary as of Jan 5.

The 'Coral Adventurer' has been detained in Papua New Guinea (PNG) waters after running aground on a reef near Dregerhafen Point, off PNG’s north coast on Dec 27 at about 5.25 a.m. LT, leading to investigations by maritime authorities in both PNG and Australia. At the time, the ship was carrying 80 passengers and 43 crew members. No injuries were reported, and there were no initial signs of water entering the vessel. However, the full extent of any damage was still unknown, as the ship remained stuck on the reef. PNG’s acting police commissioner, Samson Kua, said the vessel has been formally detained and ordered to stay in PNG waters until all required checks have been completed. The National Maritime Safety Authority of Papua New Guinea was investigating the grounding and will issue clearance to the ship’s captain only after all formalities have been cleared. Australia’s Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has also detained the ship under the Navigation Act 2012. It has concerns that the vessel may not be seaworthy because of possible damage caused during the grounding. The authority also raised issues related to how the ship’s Safety Management System was implemented under the International Safety Management Code. The AMSA was working closely with the ship’s operator, its classification society and PNG maritime authorities. The ship’s operator, Coral Expeditions, has said initial inspections did not show any damage. More detailed checks of the hull and the surrounding marine environment were to be carried out once the vessel has been refloated. Attempts to refloat the 'Coral Adventurer' using its own engines were unsuccessful. A tug was sent on Dec 28 to assist, and further refloating efforts were planned for Dec 30. The vessel was listing about six degrees to port side. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has also opened an investigation into the grounding. The bureau has secured data from the ship’s voyage data recorder and was collecting information such as ship tracking data, weather conditions, and crew and maintenance records. The ATSB investigators were planning to visit the vessel when possible. A preliminary report is expected in about two months, unless a serious safety issue is identified sooner. The passengers were disembarked to the passenger boat 'MC Ialibu' and taken to Lae on the afternoon. They were due to return to Australia on Dec 30 on a chartered flight to Cairns, and Coral Expeditions confirmed the remainder of the cruise was cancelled on Dec 29. The PNG authorities were also checking the reef near Dregerhafen Point for possible environmental damage, following reports that the vessel encountered strong sea currents while sailing towards Madang Province and the Sepik River. The 'Coral Adventurer' was already under a seperate and unrelated investigation. The Australian authorities are examining the death of the 80-year-old Sydney passenger Suzanne Rees, who was found dead on Lizard Island in October after allegedly being left behind during an excursion on the Great Barrier Reef. The Australian authorities said that no distress call was received from the vessel, but they were monitoring the situation and wee ready to assist PNG authorities if needed. Report with photos: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-30/coral-adventurer-passengers-begin-journey-home/106187482

The 'Coral Adventurer' ran aground at Dreghafen Point in the Finschhafen District of Morobe Province in pos. 06° 39' S 147° 52' E on Dec 27 at 5.30 a.m. The vessel had departed from Cairns and was transiting through Morobe Province en route to Madang and the Sepik Provinces when the incident occurred, while passing Dreghafen Point. The vessel, captained by Captain George Korovytsky, encountered strong sea currents and eventually became grounded on a reef. Upon hearing, the Water Police team from Lae responded promptly, and arrived at the location at around 11:30 a..m., accompanied by an officer from the National Maritime Safety Authority (NMSA). An inspection of the vessel was carried out, and all required documentation was verified with the ship’s captain. Following the inspection, the NMSA officer issued a ship grounding permit and advised, that a separate NMSA investigation team will attend the site tomorrow, to further assess the extent of any damage to the vessel, which was carrying a total of 120 people on board, comprising of 80 passengers from Australia, New Zealand and Canada, a couple from Israel and 44 crew members. For safety, the water police team left three of their officers on board the vessel, to provide security until the ship is deemed safe to resume its voyage. Further updates were to be made available on Dec 28, when the NMSA team continued its investigations to reveal damages that may be caused to the ship's bottom hull and the reefs that it crashed on. The situation remained unchanged as of Dec 29.

The 'Coral Adventurer' was met by Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) investigators in Cairns on Nov 4, after the vessel anchored one mile off the coast of Yorkeys Knob. AMSA officers wearing high-visibility gear were seen boarding a tender bound for the ship about 9.30 a.m., while another man was ferried out to the vessel on Nov 5. The police and AMSA were investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Suzanne Rees, 80, on Oct 25, after she became separated from her tour group during a hike on Lizard Island. The ship had left the Coconut Bay at 3.40 p.m. without her, and crew only realised she was missing when she didn’t appear at dinner. The alarm was raised around 10 p.m. Believing she may have fallen overboard, the 'Coral Adventurer' returned, and search teams scoured the island by torchlight. Her body was found at first light on Oct 26, about 50 metres from the trail. The company confirmed it is co-operating with the authorities but declined to identify the representative who boarded the ship or comment on the progress of the investigation. The ship’s departure was allegedly delayed a week due to engine problems, leaving the crew understaffed and struggling to manage passenger excursions safely. The company said that staffing levels on the ship and for the Lizard Island walk were entirely consistent with previous cruises and in line with regulatory and operational requirements. The Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators said the operator had a strong safety record. The AMSA has issued a notice to the master of the 'Coral Adventurer' prohibiting the embarkation of any new passenger. Report with photos: https://au.news.yahoo.com/investigators-board-cruise-ship-death-054631752.html

On the afternoon of Nov 3, the 'Coral Adventurer' dropped anchor in pos. 16° 46' S 145° 44' Eoff Cairns, and investigators from four government agencies boarded the ship, where the crew was interrogated over how they failed to notice Suzanne Rees, 80, had not re-boarded after a stop at Lizard Island. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has ordered the ship into lockdown. The cruise, operated by Coral Expeditions, was on the first stop of its 60-day itinerary when passengers were let off onto Lizard Island, a couple of hundred miles up the coast from Cairns. Suzanne Rees, a keen walker from Sydney, embarked on a hike to the island’s summit with a group of other passengers but became separated. She fell ill during the climb and was asked to turn back alone, according to her daughter Katherine Rees. The ship set sail again without anybody noticing she was missing, and apparently without doing a passenger count. At some stage in that sequence, or shortly after, Rees died. By the time the ship’s crew noticed she was missing that evening, it was already back at sea. The ship turned around and arrived back to the island on Oct 26 at around 2 a.m., and Coral Expeditions cancelled the rest of the cruise, citing the “tragic” death and previous mechanical issues. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority issued a notice to the master of the 'Coral Adventurer' prohibiting the embarkation of any new passengers. Reports with photos: https://7news.com.au/news/coral-adventurer-cruise-passengers-shock-at-death-of-suzanne-rees-80-as-ship-docks-in-cairns-c-20580267 https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/37209790/investigators-board-cruise-left-elderly-tourist-island/