Episode 45: Missing and Unsolved (Kinda): Tom and Eileen Lonergan

Today we are wiggling into wet suits, strapping on our scuba gear and taking a dive to explore the mystery of what happened to a couple left behind by their boat while on an excursion in the Coral Sea. Did they fall victim to sharks? Fake their death and start a new life? Or something even more sinister? Today on The Odder, we are talking about the strange disappearance of Tom and Eileen Lonergan. Get ready to explore the deep waters and let's go!

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Music Credit
"Water Prelude" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Main Theme:
"Dream Catcher" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Transcript

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1. Hello and welcome to The Odder Podcast. I’m your host Madison Paige and today we are wiggling into wetsuits, strapping on our scuba gear and taking a dive to explore the mystery of what happened to a couple left behind by their boat while on an excursion in the Coral Sea. Did they fall victim to sharks? Fake their death and start a new life? Or something even more sinister happen? Today on The Odder, we are talking about the strange disappearance of Tom and Eileen Lonergan. Get ready to explore the deep waters and let's go!
2. Good Morning, Midnight, and Moon my Odders, how is everyone doing today? Have you missed me? It’s been a whole 24 hrs since we last saw each other. How did everyone enjoy the birthday bonus episode on the Parkland School Shooting? If you really enjoyed it or if you didn’t, please leave a rating and review, they really do help! For the returning listeners, welcome back, for the new listeners, welcome welcome to The Odder podcast where we are a trail mix of all things unknown, unsolved, and just plain odd. If you have an idea for an episode you think would be fun, good news! I do listener requests so if you want your own personalized episode, you can send me an email at theodderpod@gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you and know what you want to hear from me! I still can’t believe that the Odder is a whole 2 years old. I want to thank everyone once again for their support and well wishes as we continue on and I look forward to seeing you guys again on valentines day next year for another birthday bonus episode! Just to make sure we are all on the same page, we are back to normal posting schedule and while I'm sure you have enjoyed the back to back content, The Odder is back to it’s every other Thursday posting. Today, we have a missing and unsolved episode for you guys as we talk about the curious case of Tom and Eileen Lonergan whose disappearance would astound many and even served as inspiration for the 2003 movie Open Water. 
3. Married at Louisiana State University in 1988, some would describe Tom and Eileen Lonergan as “young, idealistic, and in love with each other”. Eileen was already an avid scuba diver and it didn’t take long for her enthusiasm for the hobby to rub off on her husband. Although still quite a novice, Tom was already showing promise with the skill when the couple decided to book an excursion with a diving company in Queensland, Australia hoping to get the chance to scuba dive at the world’s largest coral reef system. 
4. The couple were heading home to the United States after serving three years in the Peace Corp as volunteers in Tuvalu and Fiji. They had decided to stop for a mini vacation and booked the dive to the great barrier reef with the company Outer Edge on Sunday, January 25, 1998. Twenty-eight year old Eileen and Thirty three year old Tom boarded the vessel named the MV Outer Edge with twenty four other passengers and were scheduled for three dives that day under the watchful eye of captain Geoffrey “Jack” Nairn. Arriving at their destination, which was about 25 miles off the coast of Queensland, the passengers strapped on their rented scuba gear, and enjoyed their first two diving sessions.
5. The final dive of the day started at 3:00 pm at a spot located around 37 miles from the Coral Sea. This was a spot known as Fish City in reference to the abundance of sea creatures that were known to be in the area. This dive would take about forty five minutes and since the couple were already so experienced, they chose to break away from the tour group and do some adventuring of their own in the surrounding area. 
6. This would prove to be a major mistake.
7. When the tour group finished at about forty minutes, the divers returned to the boat where the crew performed a head count. Now stories vary but at the end of the day where they should have counted 26 passengers, only 24 were accounted for. In some articles, the crew assumes that this was a calculation error on their part and correct the original number to 24 while in others a different passenger tells them that two young people had jumped off the bow of the boat to swim while they were counting leading to the crew missing them and the correct the count up to 26. Either way, Captain Nairn, the crew, and 24 passengers returned to port. 
8. Now this whole story might have had a whole different outcome if the captain or the crew had realized their mistake quickly. Leaving a diver is not necessarily a death sentence if the boat can turn around and find them quick enough. However, it would be a full two days before anyone would even be aware that they had left them behind.
9. Outer Edge company policy dictated that vessels only went out once a day and as such, cleaning up the deck was left for the crew of the next dive. The boat that the lonergans were on was not scheduled to leave the port again for another forty eight hours. This means that it took two whole days for Captain Nairn to find Eileen and Tom’s personal belongings such as their wallets, glasses, and clothes left behind on the boat. Now obviously, he would have remembered any passengers disembarking in the nude so who could have left their stuff behind. 
10.  Contacting the Gone Walkabout Hostel in Cairns where the couple had been staying, he inquired if they had returned after the excursion. When he was told they had not, a chill came over him as he realized what might have happened. 
11. Tom and Eileen Lonergan had been left behind at the reef two days ago. 
12. This sparked a massive five day search for the couple utilizing both air and sea rescue teams. The Navy as well as civilian vessels took part in an attempt to find the abandoned peace corp volunteers. 
13. Unfortunately, Tom and Eileen would never be found. 
14. Several clues to what happened to them would turn up however and with them, conspiracy theories would run rampant as people tried to figure out how this could have happened and who was really to blame.
15. One of the first clues of the couple actually came before they were even reported missing as a different Outer Edge dive excursion had gone to the area where the Lonergans had been left the day after. Some of the passengers had found dive weights on the bottom of the ocean. A dive weight is a metal device that resembles a buckle that goes on the belt of a diver allowing them to sink lower as they swim. While at the time this was described as a bonus find by the Outer Edge crew and never directly tied to the lonergans, many have found it strange this wasn't discovered by the lonergan diving party the day before and that it might suggest that it was left behind by a diver trying to stay afloat as opposed to sinking under. 
16. In February 1998, a woman’s wetsuit washed ashore in north Queensland, Australia. The wetsuit, upon examination matching Eileen Lonergan’s size. Experts determined due to barnacle growth that the wetsuit had likely been in the ocean since January and showed signs of being dragged along coral as it had tears in the buttock and armpit regions. In June 1998, more diving gear would wash up on Port Douglas beach which is about 75 miles from where the Lonergans were left behind. These items were more directly tied to them as they included inflatable dive jackets with their names on them, their compressed air tanks, and a fin that would have belonged to Eileen. 
17. Damningly, among the items was a divers slate which is a device used to communicate between swimmers underwater. On the slate were written the words “"Monday Jan 26; 1998 08am. To anyone who can help us: We have been abandoned on Agin court Reef by MV Outer Edge 25 Jan 1998 3pm. Please help to rescue us before we die. Help!!!"
18. This slate suggests that after the couple were left, they managed to survive to at least the morning after as the excursion happened on Sunday and the final dive was at 3pm but since another boat went to the same area on monday, they had not made it to the afternoon.  
19. No bodies would ever be recovered. 
20. Now this may be the time where you are saying, why are we doing an episode on this? It seems pretty straightforward? A couple goes on a scuba diving trip, the company they use is not as responsible as they should be and the couple ends up abandoned and perished. However, many theories and suspicions surrounded the disappearance of the couple and people began to wonder if it was truly as simple as crew error at all. What really happened to Tom and Eileen Lonergan?
21. Theory Number One: They staged their disappearance to start a new life
22. This theory mainly sits on the shoulders of the claims made by a woman named Jeanette Brenthall who owns a bookshop in Port Douglas. She believes that she saw the couple come into her store two days after the diving trip where they were supposedly left behind. A separate sighting of the couple was also reportedly made around the same time in a hotel in downtown Darwin. People who believe this theory claim that the couple, who were experienced scuba divers, planned this excursion as part of a ruse to leave their old lives behind. After breaking off from their tour group, they waited until the boat left before emerging. They were then picked up by a separate boat they had hired to come out to the reef after the last dive of the day. This would actually be supported by reports made of a boat spotted less than a mile from St. Crispin’s Reef. The couple stripped off their scuba gear and wrote the message on the slate before abandoning it in the water and getting a ride back to Port Douglas in the rented boat with new clothes and documents. 
23. However, this theory has several holes. Neither the sightings of the couple nor the boat have ever been confirmed. Their insurance policies and bank accounts have also never been touched. Furthermore, the reason why this couple would go through this elaborate scheme was never given. They were finished with their peace corp volunteer work and had no other obligations at the time, if they wanted to start over, there was no reason to fake their deaths to do it. 
24. Theory number two: The couple’s disappearance was actually a staged suicide or murder-suicide. 
25. Now this kind of thing happening during a scuba expedition is actually not new. One of the most well known is that of Tina Watson, a 26 year old American Woman, who was murdered on her honeymoon during a scuba expedition when her husband, Gabe Watson, turned off her air supply and held her in an underwater bear hug until she drowned. This death was made all the more terrifying because the entire incident happened in full view of the other divers and one even captured a picture of her lifeless body in full gear without any being the wiser. This happened in 2003.However, in March 1999, David Swain, a Rhode Island dive shop owner, would kill his wife in a diving incident off the British Virgin Islands in order to pursue an affair with another woman. 
26. In the case of the Lonergan’s, those who believe that this could have been a suicide or murder-suicide would utilize pieces taken from Tom’s personal diary that describe him as a man looking for a “quick and peaceful death”. In Eileen’s diary, they would find passages where she expressed that she had chosen to stay with Tom no matter the outcome. One in particular was noted to say “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.” This was used by some to claim that the couple had entered those waters not intending to leave.
27. This theory was rebuffed heavily by the family, the coroner, and the Port Douglas police who stated the passages were taken out of context and that the majority of the diaries were not leaked to the press. The couple were also devout Catholics who believe that suicide is a sin and were on their way to Hawaii where they planned to settle down. This also does not explain why the slate was written the way that it was. 
28. Something else that both theory one and two don’t take into account is that in both circumstances, the couple would have had to find a way to knowingly trick the company into miscounting. The headcount was off and falsely fixed and they would have had to somehow found a way to make sure this had happened in order for them to either reach the boat to escape or not get found at all.
29. Theory number three: The couple were abandoned by their diving company, left behind for two days, and succumbed to the elements. 
30. This is the most accepted theory. It’s the one backed up by the most evidence. An experienced couple separates from their diving group and loses track of time, an irresponsible crew miscounts the number of passengers and the captain does not notice, they return to port and leave Tom and Eileen behind at the reef. Due to a lazy company policy nobody notices the stuff left by them for two whole days and in that time, the couple become dehydrated, disoriented, exhausted, or the victim of sharks. They die in the water, their bodies don’t get recovered, and their gear washes up on shore. It is a horrific accident but it is an accident. There is no premeditated planning or escape boats or new identities mixed in it. 
31. John Hain’s, Eileen’s father, feels that this is ultimately what happened to the couple. 
32. Experts examining the gear that was found believe that they were likely not attacked by sharks and stripped it off after succumbing to delirium caused by dehydration, similar to a victim of hyperthermia who strips out of their clothing because they feel they are burning even though they are actually freezing to death. Once they had done this, the buoyancy offered by it would have left the couple to tread water to stay afloat. Now the average adult can do this for a maximum of two to three hours but at this point they were already at the end of their ropes and it would not have taken much longer for them to have exhausted themselves and drowned. 
33. Ultimately, despite all the theories, the courts dismissed the idea that the Lonergans have faked their deaths or died by suicide and formally charged Geoffrey Ian “Jack” Nairn with their unlawful killing. He would later be found not guilty but they would heavily fine his company Outer Edge Dive after he did plead guilty to negligence and the venture would fold. 
34. Tom and Eileen’s case would lead to Queensland’s government putting into place stiffer regulations and laws and a particular one where captains and divemasters must independently confirm passenger headcounts.
35. Their case would also inspire the 2003 movie Open Water which deviates from their story because this one does include the use of sharks. 
36. Shockingly, a similar incident would happen in 2008. 
37. 38 year old Richard Neely and his partner 40 year old Alison Dalton were left behind on the coral reef at Whitsunday Islands after harsh winds and waves prevented them from being seen by their fellow divers or boat after surfacing just 200 meters from them. While they could see their boat, they were unable to return due to the strength of  the current and tried to signal their location and distress. They whistled, yelled, and used their surface buoy but were not spotted and the boat eventually left without them. The couple tied themselves together for warmth and floated. They saw a search helicopter circle over them several times as they floated through the freezing water in the darkness but remained unspotted and were struggling to keep up hope. They kept reassuring the other they would make it. Neely stated that when one saw the other getting weak they would shout “ I love you” to get a response and know they were still conscious. They floated together all night as helicopters continued to pass them by. 
38. Miraculously, they managed to survive and were finally spotted at 8:40 am the next morning where their rescue was almost in vain when a highly venomous sea snake reared up in the face of Dalton while the rescuer was trying to get ahold of her. 
39. The couple had floated together for a total of 19 hours. 
40. Neely credited their survival with the book Bravo Two Zero which he had previously read and which gave him the tip for tying the two of them together and keeping them warm as well as their efforts to keep each other conscious and aware and fight off the delirium. Neely who was a diving instructor was also able to keep track of their position using his compass and instruct the best way to conserve their strength and energy when swimming. 
41. The case of Neely and Dalton whose company was immediately aware they were missing and able to call upon rescue helicopters shows what a difference could have been made if Outer Edge had been aware of the Lonergan’s disappearance and not waited two days to inform on them. 
42. If a proper headcount and better response had been taken, Eileen and Tom could very much still be alive today 
43. Now, I am someone who has had the fortune of getting to scuba dive before. It was quite the experience and I enjoyed it but I doubt I would be likely to go out of my way to repeat it again. Partially because I’ve never enjoyed deep water I can’t see through and partially because you would be shocked at the number of murder  cases I found involving scuba diving doing research for this. What happened to Tom and Eileen Lonergan is one of those cases that we are likely never going to get a concrete answer to. We know what we think happened, we know what likely occured, here is what the evidence says, but no remains were ever recovered. There are still people who swear it was all a scheme to start a new life, people that wholeheartedly believe theory one or two. Usually on my missing and Unsolved I like to end with the descriptions and where you can contact with any information but there actually isn't any missing info for the Lonergans so we will end with this. Tom and Eileen were young, passionate, and empathetic people who had worked to help others and enjoyed interacting with the natural world. Their families did not deserve to lose them so early due to recklessness and bad practices by a diving company. We hope that by talking about the Lonergan case, the memories of them and the good works they did can be kept alive. 
44. Well, that’s all for this episode. So what do you think? Which theory did you find most relevant? Did you think the court was fair in its treatment of the captain?  Would you want a movie made about your disappearance? Let us know what you think on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and leave a review. The Odder Pod is also on TikTok. Come follow us there! Have a suggestion for a show? Send me an email at theodderpod@gmail.com with your request and whether you’d like me to mention your name, your alias, or nothing at all. Remember this is The Odder Side so give me something cool, creepy, or confusing to deep dive for you. If you liked the show, leave us a review! They really help! There was also an Open Water 2 which featured a baby stranded with the couple left behind this time. The Odder Podcast posts every other Thursday. Thanks for listening and I’ll see you next time on The Odder side.