They Were Left Behind While Scuba Diving: Their Diving Gear Washed Ashore, But They Remain Missing Nearly 27 Years Later
Thomas and Eileen Lonergan first met while studying at Louisiana State University before they tied the knot and fell in love.
The pair shared an affinity for adventure, traveling as part of the Peace Corps and teaching underprivileged kids in Fiji and other Pacific islands for two years.
Eileen was an avid scuba diver, too, and during their relationship, she inspired Thomas to take up the hobby. Together, they successfully completed countless dives, but after they chased their dream of diving in the Great Barrier Reef in January 1998, the couple got left behind and vanished.
Thomas, who was 33 at the time, and Eileen, 28, had been returning home from serving in the Peace Corps. Along the way, they opted to stop in Queensland, Australia and planned to dive at St. Crispin’s Reef, a popular destination in the Great Barrier Reef.
It was January 25, 1998, a sunny Sunday, when they set out for their dive with Outer Edge Dive Company. There were 26 passengers in total aboard the boat, led by the skipper, Geoffrey Nairn.
The boat traveled many miles off the coast of Queensland. Then, upon arriving at the dive site, all the passengers got their diving gear on before plunging into the water.
The itinerary included multiple dives scheduled for the same day, and the initial dives went off without any incidents.
Yet, following the final dive that afternoon, a proper headcount wasn’t taken before the boat left St. Crispin’s Reef.
Thomas and Eileen had descended for their last dive, and when they returned to the water’s surface, they realized the boat was gone and they’d been left behind.
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No one noticed that the spouses were missing for two full days. The boat’s skipper, Geoffrey, found a bag containing Thomas and Eileen’s wallets, passports, and other belongings, which triggered a massive search effort.
Both in the air and the sea, search teams ranging from Navy members to civilians scoured the area for any signs of the couple for three days.
Eventually, some of Thomas and Eileen’s diving gear was discovered washed ashore. Among the gear was a dive slate with a message written on it.
“To anyone who can help us: We have been abandoned on Agincourt Reef by MV Outer Edge 25 Jan 98 3:00 p.m. Please help us come to rescue us before we die. Help!!!” the slate read.
This piece of evidence confirmed that Thomas and Eileen had survived initially being abandoned. Nonetheless, their bodies were never located.
Their heartbreaking case gave rise to plenty of theories, including speculations that something more sinister than negligence had transpired.
Once Thomas and Eileen’s personal diaries were uncovered, the entries suggested Thomas was depressed, and his wife was worried about his mental state.
“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,” Eileen wrote two weeks before their dive trip.
However, the pair’s parents argued that their diary entries had been taken out of context. Since then, the theory accepted as most plausible is that Thomas and Eileen died due to dehydration, exhaustion, drowning, or shark attack, given they were stranded in the ocean for multiple days.
Geoffrey Nairn was subsequently charged with unlawful killing by coroner Noel Nunan. He asserted skippers should be diligent when it comes to ensuring passenger safety and carrying out safety procedures.
“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,” Nunan said.
Contrary to his belief, Geoffrey wasn’t found guilty. Rather, the diving company pled guilty to negligence, got fined, and ultimately went out of business.
The tragic incident also resulted in stricter diving regulations being put into place in Australia. These included tracking systems, enhanced staff training, and mandatory headcounts that are conducted at various times throughout the day.
It has been nearly 27 years since Thomas and Eileen disappeared, though, and their remains have never been recovered, leaving their loved ones without closure.
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