Chilling moment missing couple forgotten in shark-infested waters on scuba trip | World | News
Tom and Eileen Lonergan were left behind due to incorrect headcount (Image: Queensland Police)
In a nightmarish moment, a keen scuba diving couple was left alone in shark-infested waters, and the boat captain who left them behind didn’t realize they were missing until two days later. Experienced divers Tom and Eileen Lonergan embarked on the journey of a lifetime to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
On January 25, 1998, the couple decided to board a scuba diving charter so they could witness the natural wonder, which is teeming with the reef and 1,500 other species of marine life, including tiger sharks. The excited couple drove about an hour from Cairns in Queensland to Port Douglas to catch their boat, the MV Outer Edge, skippered by Geoffrey “Jack” Nairn.
The day must have started as an exciting adventure for Tom, 33, and Eileen, 28, as they journeyed with their diving enthusiasts to St Crispin’s Reef, a spectacular underwater wonderland some 35 miles off the coast. They arrived at the scene around 10:00.
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Tom and Eileen Lonergan were visiting Australia from Louisiana in the United States (Image: Queenland Police)
The couple had an all-around spectacular diving day, touring the spectacular underwater canyons of the reef area teeming with fish and other marine life. Tom and Eileen had been married for 10 years and first met at the University of Louisiana.
The couple loved outdoor adventures and both served with the U.S. Peace Corps volunteer organization on the Pacific islands of Tuvalu and Fiji for two years before their trip to Australia. Mail Online reportsTom told MV Outer Edge’s dive instructor, Katherine Traverso, that he and Eileen would explore on their own, as they were both experienced divers.
The newspaper reported that the American couple’s solo adventures were never recorded in the boat’s dive logs. In addition to recording how long divers stayed in the water and who dived where, the logs also help keep track of who was on the boat.
(Stock image) Tom and Eileen stranded in shark-infested waters (Image: Getty)
Just after 3pm, orders were given to take a count of the occupants of the MV Outer Edge as it was ready to start the engines and return to Port Douglas. British diver Bryan Brogdan had seen the Lonergans watching a giant clam before returning to the ship.
Once the head count was done, the ship began to head back to port, but more importantly, while the pair were still in the water, the Lonergans had fallen short of the count.
When they returned to port the alarm was not sounded until 6 pm on 27 January; Meanwhile, the couple had been in shark-infested waters for more than 48 hours.
Despite an intense search by air and sea for three days, Tom and Eileen were never found.
MV boat captain Geoffrey “Jack” Nairn was cleared of any wrongdoing in the subsequent manslaughter trial. The investigation into the couple’s disappearance pointed out that the prevalence of sharks was high in the area where they disappeared.
In a memorable find in June 1998, a diving board used by scuba divers to write messages underwater was found on the beach. It read: “To anyone who can help us: We were abandoned on Agincourt Reef by the MV Outer Edge at 0300, 25Jan98. Please help us come to our rescue before we die. Help!!!”
A diving tank and vests bearing Tom and Eileen’s names were also found on a beach near Cooktown, about 200 miles from Port Douglas. Tears were found in diving suits.
The pair’s disappearance led to a major overhaul of diving safety rules in Australia. Their story is also said to be a partial inspiration for the 2003 horror film Open Water, about an American couple stranded in shark-infested waters.
