Couple's chilling final moments after being abandoned in shark-infested waters on holiday

Daily Record

20-05-2025

Tom and Eileen Lonergan were last seen diving near their boat tour on January 25, 1998, before they were never heard from again. Their disappearance was the inspiration behind a huge film after they were abandoned in the water
It's been 26 years since the chilling disappearance of Tom and Eileen Lonergan.
The American couple's vanishing act became the chilling inspiration for a major film after they were last spotted on a diving excursion near their tour boat on January 25, 1998, before falling off the radar completely.
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The mystery of their absence remains unresolved, leaving a trail of unanswered queries.
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Tom and Eileen set out from Port Douglas in Northern Australia for what was meant to be an adventure holiday but met with a catastrophic end. Left adrift in shark-ridden waters at around 3pm, some 40 miles off the Queensland coast, theirs is a harrowing tale that eventually sparked a hit movie.
This expedition was meant to mark the pinnacle of excitement. Having completed a two-year stint with the US Peace Corps in Tuvalu and Fiji, the Lonergans planned a visit to the famed Great Barrier Reef, reports the Mirror US.
The pair, who had been married for ten years, initially found love during their university days in Louisiana, as featured in a report by the Daily Star.
Eileen's zeal for scuba diving gradually enthralled Tom. Their venture to Queensland was intended to celebrate their combined passions, yet it ultimately signalled the end of their union.
The voyage, however, wasn't without foreboding signs. An unsettling note in Eileen's diary just two weeks before their holiday hinted at Tom harbouring a "death wish".
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She wrote: "He hopes to die a quick and 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."
Their dream trip to the Great Barrier Reef in January 1998 swiftly descended into a horror story. The couple was left behind by their tour vessel, the Outer Edge, as their group returned to Port Douglas unaware, marooning them in treacherous waters frequented by massive, lethal tiger sharks along the Queensland coastline.
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Last sighted alive 12 meters beneath the ocean surface, admiring the underwater wonders they had yearned for, the Lonergans surfaced to find the Outer Edge had vanished. Shockingly, it took two days before anyone realised the pair were absent.
The alarming discovery of their absence was made when skipper and boat owner Jack Nairn stumbled upon their possessions, including a dive bag, wallet, and documents aboard the boat.
An urgent yet fruitless search was initiated and over time macabre hints emerged. Items surfaced such as Eileen's undamaged wetsuit, personal flotation devices labelled with their names, and a slate message written the following morning after their disappearance.
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The haunting final message they left begged for help: "To anyone W.H.O. can help us: We have been abandoned on A[gin]court Reef by MV Outer Edge 25 Jan 98 3pm. Please help us [come] to rescue us before we die. Help! ! !".
The eerie situation, which echoes the film Open Water, suggested a shark attack was unlikely for the Lonergans, and as time went on, hope for their rescue waned. The incident sparked an international conflict between Australia and the United States, with legal counsel for Outer Edge insinuating the couple may have vanished by choice, referencing (leaked) diary entries to back up their assertions.
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Suspicions of suicide or even a murder-suicide planned by Tom emerged but were strongly refuted by the Lonergan family, who dismissed such accusations as defamatory and ludicrous. Ultimately, accountability was ascribed to the Outer Edge, with Nairn conceding to negligence.
In his conclusive remarks at the investigation into the disappearance, Coroner Noel Nunan unequivocally blamed skipper Nairn for failing to guarantee passenger safety. He said: "The skipper should be vigilant for the safety of passengers and ensure safety measures are carried out."
He added: "When you combine the number of mistakes and the severity of the mistakes I am satisfied a reasonable jury would find Mr Nairn guilty of manslaughter on criminal evidence."
Though Nairn was exonerated by the jurors, his firm, Outer Edge Boat Company, foundered following the controversy. The case brought about statutory amendments in Queensland, making it compulsory for dive boat skippers to perform headcounts of all divers on board.
The chilling disappearance of the Lonergans was the muse for the 2003 hit film Open Water, portraying a young American pair left stranded after an ocean dive. Open Water struck a chord with viewers, especially in the US where it grossed $30 million on a shoestring budget.
Yet, even the worldwide repercussions of the Lonergans' vanishing - the political upheaval, the legal disputes, and the Hollywood portrayal - couldn't bring them back to land.