An absolutely torrid month for Queensland tourism has now suffered one more tragedy, with another tourist dying while snorkelling or diving on the Great Barrier Reef.
At around 2pm yesterday, a 75-year-old Japanese woman was pulled from waters near Moore Reef, situated about 45km from Cairns. QLD Police stated that CPR was performed on the woman, but she sadly passed away. It’s believed she had been snorkelling with a tourist group at the time.
The death is the fourth to rock the Reef tourism industry inside the past month. In late November three other tourists died in two seperate incidents after running into trouble while snorkelling or diving on the reef.
Two French tourists, both in their 70s, suffered heart attacks and passed away while snorkelling near Michaelmas Cay in an incident that saw a third tourist require urgent medical attention. A mere two days after that incident, an English tourist in his 60s died while diving off Agincourt Reef.
A QLD Police spokesperson confirmed that this latest death on the reef will be investigated, with a report to be prepared and submitted to the coroner. Workplace Health and Safety has also been notified.
The 75-year-old tourist is the 10th person to die on the reef, or in the region of it, this calendar year. Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators boss Col McKenzie has suggested that a review of practices for elderly snorkelers might be required after the recent spate of deaths.
Source: Brisbane Times.
Photo: DEA, C. Dani, I. Jeske/Getty.
