A 75-year-old Japanese tourist died snorkeling on Australia's Great Barrier Reef on Wednesday, the fourth tourist to die on the reef in the past few weeks, it was reported.
The Japanese woman could not be revived after she was pulled from the water during a tourist boat visit to the reef, about 40 kilometres from Cairns.
She had been snorkeling with family on a reef trip with a local tour company when the incident occurred, the Cairns Post reported.
Last month three tourists - French snorkelers Jacques Goron, 76, Danielle Franck, 74, and scuba diver Briton David Lowe, 60, died on the reef.
Marine Park Tourism Operator Association director Col McKenzie said it may be time to introduce a waiver for reef snorkelers aged over 60.
"We've got to do something, we can't put our head in the sand," he said.
"I believe we're doing things right, but it's still worth sitting down around a table."
The Queensland cornoner is investigating the cause of death after suggestions the deaths may have been caused by tiny highly venomous jellyfish called Irukandjis.
Australia's Great Barrier Reef is popular with tourists.
