In 1998, Tom and Eileen Lonergan were accidentally left behind during a scuba trip on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef—a real-life disappearance that inspired Open Water and sparked rumors of a staged vanishing.
Their bodies were never found, but diaries later revealed troubling entries, including Eileen’s fear of being “caught in” her husband’s “death wish.”
The Louisiana couple, experienced divers who had just completed two years with the Peace Corps, joined 24 passengers aboard the MV Outer Edge for dives at St. Crispin’s Reef. After two dives, they began a third at a site known for heavy shark activity. British diver Bryan Brogdan was the last to see them as they stayed underwater longer than advised.
A faulty headcount—complicated when two passengers briefly re-entered the water—led the crew to believe everyone was on board. When the boat returned to port, the Lonergans’ untouched dive bags and missing gear went unnoticed. Even their failure to appear for a shuttle back to their hotel raised no immediate alarm.
For two days, the boat continued operating before the skipper finally opened the unclaimed bags and discovered the couple’s belongings, prompting a massive search. For three days, aircraft and boats scoured the Coral Sea with no results.
Ten days later, their equipment began washing up along the coast, some showing possible shark damage—but still no bodies.
The discovery of the couple’s diaries added a darker dimension. Tom had written months earlier that he felt “ready to die,” while Eileen expressed fear of being pulled into his “death wish.” Although some speculated the pair staged their disappearance, their bank accounts and insurance policies were never touched, leaving their fate an unsettling mystery.