Missing couple abandoned in shark-infested waters left sinister diary entries

Irish Daily Mirror

27-05-2025

For many, a trip to Australia's Great Barrier Reef is the journey of a lifetime. Known as one of the seven natural wonders of the world, this cherished destination is situated off Queensland's coast.
Back in January 1998, two unsuspecting Americans, Tom and Eileen Lonergan, hopped aboard a scuba dive boat called the Outer Edge to soak up the splendour of the reef. Tragically, they would never return to terra firma.
Like their fellow divers, the pair spent over 30 minutes marvelling at the underwater paradise, swimming amidst the stunning coral and sea life. However, upon returning to the surface, they discovered the dive boat had vanished.
It was later revealed the boat's crew had failed to realise the couple were missing and had left without them. Their absence went unnoticed for a full 48 hours, and by the time rescue teams rushed to the shark-ridden dive site, Tom, aged 33, and Eileen, aged 28, had disappeared without a trace.
As the search continued, investigators found the couple's personal diaries back at their hostel in Cairns, a city in the north of Australia's east coast. The entries they uncovered were deeply unsettling, reports the Irish Star.
Tom had writte a haunting message six months before their disappearance: "I feel as though my life is complete and I'm ready to die," he wrote. "As far as I can tell, from here my life can only get worse. It has peaked and it's all downhill from here until my funeral."
Eileen's worries about her husband Tom's casual attitude to death were documented in one of her last diary entries, just 16 days before the pair mysteriously disappeared.
She wrote: "Tom hopes to die a quick and fairly painless death and he hopes it happens soon. Tom's not suicidal, but he's got a death wish that could lead him to what he desires, and I could get caught in that."
The couple had tied the knot back in their hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, having first crossed paths at Louisiana State University, nine years before their baffling excursion.
Both thrill-seekers, in 1995 they embarked upon a journey with the US Peace Corps, teaching in the distant locales of Tuvalu and Fiji.
Come January 1998, Tom and Elaine set off for Australia – their grand escapade's ultimate leg before their return to the States was on the cards. On Sunday, January 25, they hopped on a coach in Cairns for the hour's trip up to Port Douglas.
Upon reaching their destination, they set sail aboard the Outer Edge, bound for St Crispin Reef, some 38 miles out to sea.
Following two exhilarating 40-minute dives, they geared up for a third stint underwater at a spot dubbed Fish City, notorious for its shark-heavy waters, recalled local angler Mick Bird, who was fishing just a few miles away at the time.
Bird recounted there were so many sharks around the reef, saying: '"Every time we threw a line, we'd pull in a shark - they should rename that place Shark City."
British diver Bryan Brogdan was utterly unaware when he admired a giant clam during a dive with the Lonergans that it would be the tragic last sighting of the couple. He parted ways with them to head back to the boat, while the Lonergans opted to spend more time underwater than the dive boat crew had instructed.
It was 3pm – the time everyone should've been accounted for on board the Outer Edge when former skipper Geoffrey 'Jack' Nairn requested George Pyrohiw, one of his crew members, to perform a headcount. This safety measure, crucially relied upon, was regrettably mishandled leading to the deadly oversight.
A serious chain of blunders started once it became apparent the Lonergans hadn't rejoined the vessel. In the middle of the headcount by George Pyrohiw, two divers plunged back into the water to snap some last-minute shots.
In recounting events to investigators, Pyrohiw noted that he informed the captain there were only 24 individuals present instead of the full complement of 26, to which the captain responded: "And two in the water makes 26". Although Geoffrey Nairn disputes this account, the catastrophic misunderstanding remained.
Upon returning to Port Douglas later that day and offloading the guests, it went unnoticed by the crew that two dive bags were left aboard – not sparking immediate concern. The crews' erroneous conclusion was that the neglected baggage would be reclaimed once its owners realised they'd forgotten their belongings.
In addition to this blunder, an inventory revealed that the vessel was short of two air tanks and two weight belts, yet no one raised any questions. Norm Stigant, the driver responsible for ferrying passengers back to their hotels, informed his boss that the Lonergans hadn't turned up for the ride - but he was told not to fret and eventually left without them.
As darkness fell, the American couple found themselves alone on the reef - with no one seemingly aware of the peril they were in.
The next day, the boat returned to St Crispin Reef with a fresh set of passengers - its crew still oblivious to the tragedy that had unfolded. Divers plunged into the water to admire the marine life, and within a short span, two weight-belts were recovered from the ocean floor.
Astonishingly, this was yet another instance that should have triggered alarm for the crew - instead, they did nothing.
Another day passed, and the boat carried a new batch of passengers before returning to Port Douglas for the second time since the Lonergans had failed to reboard. It was finally at this juncture that the captain noticed the unclaimed dive bags still on the boat and opened them, discovering ID documents inside.
There were several other items left in the bags, including a shirt Tom Lonergan had worn that day, and a wallet.
At last, Geoffrey contacted the authorities. The police quickly discovered that the couple's credit cards hadn't been used and a massive search operation was initiated.
Some of Tom's belongings, including his buoyancy jacket with his name clearly marked on it, were discovered 50 miles north of St Crispin Reef a mere 10 days after the incident. Additional items turned up shortly afterwards, such as a shredded wetsuit.
Then, in the month of July which was six months later, a fisherman stumbled upon a dive board, thought to belong to the couple, about 90 miles north of the same reef. Dive boards serve as a way for divers to communicate beneath the waves.
This particular one bore a desperate message that had faded over time. The haunting note read: "Monday, January 26, 1998. 8am. To anyone who can help us. We have been abandoned here by the Outer Edge. Please help us or we will die. Tom and Eileen Lonergan."
The question of the board's authenticity has been hotly debated, with some considering it could be the work of a sick prankster.
To this day, the fate of the American couple remains a mystery, their bodies never found, and numerous theories have surfaced concerning the events following their abandonment as outlined during the investigation and the coronial inquiry that followed. Detective Sergeant Paul Priest made a statement at the inquest, months after they vanished, describing the diaries found in their hostel room as "chillingly bizarre" and appeared "prophetic".
He, however, later concluded the writings were simply reflective thoughts from a deeply introspective couple.
The Lonergans' tragic disappearance served as the inspiration for the film Open Water, which was set in the Bahamas rather than the Great Barrier Reef. In an effort to make the movie as authentic as possible, the director subjected the actors to a terrifying ordeal to truly capture the fear and panic the couple would have experienced upon realising they had been left behind.
Real sharks were allowed to circle the actors, and cameras were attached to buoys to provide viewers with a first-hand perspective of the drama. Tuna chunks were thrown into the sea to deter the sharks from attacking the cast.