About this episode

This episode discusses the true story behind the disappearance of Tom and Eileen Lonergan during a scuba diving trip.

Open Water (2003) is a survival thriller inspired by the true story of Tom and Eileen Lonergan. In the film, a married couple is accidentally left behind during a scuba diving trip after the boat crew miscounts the passengers. As they drift alone in the open ocean, they face dehydration, exhaustion, and sharks while waiting for a rescue that never comes. The real events happened in 1998, when Tom and Eileen Lonergan were accidentally abandoned during a dive at Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Their disappearance wasn't discovered for nearly two days, and despite a massive search, they were never found. Months later, some of their dive gear washed ashore, but their bodies were never recovered. Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-faZE1ZJ6Q https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-12/ocean-survival-expert-advice-qld-couple-three-days-at-sea/101848206 https://allthatsinteresting.com/tom-eileen-lonergan Open Water  https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/9625524/The-fall-and-rise-of-Milton-Windsor-Harris Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Topics covered

• disappearance
• survival
• scuba diving
• true crime
• ocean
• thriller

Keywords

• Tom Lonergan
• Eileen Lonergan
• Open Water
• disappearance
• scuba diving
• Great Barrier Reef
• survival

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Open Water

Places: Australia, Great Barrier Reef

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