Random True Story Behind 'Open Water' Is A Dark Mystery That Goes Way Beyond Horror Of Film (13 items)

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  (#8) Some People Believe They Faked Their Deaths

  Although there was never any concrete evidence, some people wondered if Tom and Eileen Lonergan faked their own deaths. After the Australian news broke the story, more than 20 people came forward claiming to have seen the Lonergans after they supposedly disappeared. They were allegedly seen all around Australia, including in a Darwin hotel and a Port Douglas bookshop two days after their dive, according to the owner.

  Another disappearance theory supporting the "faked death" idea speculates an unidentified boat a mile away from the dive site picked up the Lonergans. Considering they both left their passports behind, never touched their bank accounts after the incident, and their insurance policies were never cashed in, if the Lonergans really did fake their death, they would have been forced to start completely from scratch. Also, they would have had to rely on the coincidental fact that the crew counted heads incorrectly.
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  (#10) The Boat Returned To The Same Spot The Next Day And Still Did Not Suspect Anything

  The day after Tom and Eileen Lonergan failed to get back on the boat, the Outer Edge returned to the same spot with a new group of divers. One of these divers discovered two weight belts - used as a countermeasure against all the other buoyant equipment divers carry - on the seabed of St. Crispin Reef where they were last seen. The diver reported this and the skipper Jack Nairn was informed, but since the Lonergans had not yet been reported missing, no one connected the two events.

  The Outer Edge crew chalked the belts up to a lucky find and continued the day's expedition. It's extremely possible the weight belts were the ones the Lonergans were using and most likely dropped soon after discovering they were stranded.
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  (#1) A Dive Slate With A Distress Message Was Discovered Six Months After Their Disappearance

  In order to communicate effectively underwater, many divers carry dive slates, small boards on which they can write messages or record information. Six months after Tom and Eileen Lonergan's disappearance, a well-weathered slate was discovered by a fisherman miles away from their dive site. Along with the date of January 26, 1998, and a time of 8:00 am, the slate read, "PLEASE HELP US OR WE WILL DIE."

  This distress note appears to clearly indicate the Lonergans were not left behind by choice and were alive at least until the next day to write the distress message.
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  (#7) The Owner Of The Dive Company Was Charged With Manslaughter But Was Acquitted

  In 1999, Outer Edge owner Jack Nairn was charged with manslaughter of the Lonergans and went to trial in criminal court. The defense used the diary entries to question the intentions of the couple and claimed they faked their deaths. The trial was also centered on Nairn, not the entire company, and many members of the jury may have felt it was not his fault alone.

  Although they acquitted him, Nairn was also tried in Australian civil court where he pled guilty to negligence and was fined for breaking safety rules. Thanks to the fines, the court costs, and the amount of negative publicity he received, Nairn was forced to close down his business. The tragic story of Tom and Eileen Lonergan also inspired Queensland to enact stricter rules on how dive companies should operate and how head counts are taken.
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  (#2) Diaries Entries Have Led Some To Believe They Had A Suicide Pact

  The diaries of Tom and Eilleen Lonergan were discovered after their disappearance and contained some eerie insights. According to entries, both Tom and Eileen were unhappy with their lives and each other. The couple both had careers as teachers, and each wrote how they hated their jobs. Eileen's diary included entries about how she felt too intertwined with her husband and how he had developed a death wish. Tom's diary backed this up as he wrote, "Like a student who has finished an exam I feel that my life is complete and I am ready to die."

  Although these disturbing writings from the Lonergans were mostly considered coincidental, some theories suggest the couple was carrying out a suicide pact or were the victims of a murder-suicide at the hands of Tom.
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  (#13) Currents, Dehydration, And Panic Most Likely Doomed The Couple

  Since the water was calm, clear, and warm that day, some people questioned why the Lonergans didn't swim to one of the well-lit diving platforms a few miles away, a large lifebuoy nearby, or flag down a passing ship. Although these things would be easily visible from the deck of a boat, they may not have been as easily seen from the surface of the water. Tom had also left his glasses on the boat, making it even more difficult for him to see. The platform was most likely up current, which would make it difficult to swim towards.

  In addition, it's highly likely the Lonergans were panicking: They had been left alone, the boat didn't return for them, and there was no active rescue underway. Compounded with the heat from the sun and lack of fresh drinking water, the Lonergans were most likely in a alarmed and disoriented state of mind.  

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