Australian cruise ship detained after running aground in Papua New Guinea

An Australian cruise ship was detained by maritime safety officials after running aground in Papua New Guinea.

The Coral Adventurer, operated by Coral Expeditions, ran aground off the eastern coast of Papua New Guinea at around 6:57 a.m. local time Saturday, the Papua New Guinea National Maritime Safety Authority said.

There were 124 people aboard, 44 crew and 80 passengers, none of whom were injured in the incident.

The boat came to rest on a coral reef, listing about 6 degrees to the port side, or the left; the hull was not breached, and Papua New Guinea maritime officials said that the boat remained operational and that no pollutants were discharged onto the reef.

“There was a captain’s announcement that the ship hit the ground and we were stuck,” passenger Regina Beliavskiene told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, adding that during the days the boat was stranded, people were still able to make it to land for day excursions.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, however, detained the boat Monday, suspecting it could no longer sail safely.

Passengers returned to Australia on Tuesday by taking another boat and then a chartered flight to the airport in Cairns, Australia; a tugboat also arrived Tuesday to float the Coral Adventurer off the roof, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

“Acknowledging that we have not been able to deliver the exceptional experience expected by our guests on this occasion, Coral Expeditions has decided to end the tour. All passengers will be flown out on a charter flight,” Coral Expeditions said, according to USA Today.

Australian officials, who are working with their Papua New Guinea counterparts and Coral Expeditions, also said that there is suspicion that the Coral Adventurer “is sub‑standard as a result of failures in the implementation of its safety management system under the International Safety Management Code.”

The boat is now anchored near where it ran aground, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, as officials investigate and the company assesses the condition of the cruise ship.

The latest incident for Coral Adventurer comes just months after the death of passenger Suzanne Rees, 80.

On Oct. 25, Rees was accidentally left behind by the Coral Adventurer on a small island in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef after she went out on a hiking excursion with other passengers, fell ill, and stopped the hike.

The boat returned to the island after realizing she had been left behind, and her body was found the next day.

“From the little we have been told, it seems that there was a failure of care and common sense,” daughter Katherine Rees told The Associated Press at the time.

“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. Then the ship left, apparently without doing a passenger count. At some stage in that sequence, or shortly after, Mum died, alone,” she said.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is also investigating that incident.