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

• 

  (#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.
• 

  (#6) Eileen's Wetsuit Washed Ashore With Several Tears And Barnacles Attached To It

  In addition to pieces of the Lonergan's diving equipment, a women's wetsuit the same size Eileen would have worn was also found washed up on shore several months after the couple went missing. It was intact with no blood or holes that would be consistent with injuries from a shark attack.

  The suit did have some tears in the armpit and buttocks areas but were thought to be the result of the suit getting snagged on coral as it drifted through the ocean. There were barnacles attached to the zipper, and authorities determined from their rate of growth the suit had probably been adrift in the ocean since the end of January, around the time of the couple's disappearance.
• 

  (#12) They Were Missed In The Head Count Due To Confusion And An Inexperienced Crew

  It's standard practice for dive excursions to take head counts of everyone participating so all are accounted for before the boat heads back to shore. In the case of Tom and Eileen Lonergan, however, something obviously went wrong. Ship skipper and company owner Jack Nairn claims to have ordered one of the crew to conduct a head count before the ship left.

  In the middle of the count, however, things became confused when two people jumped back into the water. Because the count was down two, these people were assumed to be the last divers and appeared everyone was back on board. Other stories claim some of the crew were inexperienced and somehow missed the Lonergans because of a failure to carry out their responsibilities.
• 

  (#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.
• 

  (#4) A Captain Believes The Lonergans May Have Hitched A Ride On His Boat

  While police were investigating the case, another strange story emerged. Another boat captain who claimed to have visited the same dive spot the next day may have encountered the couple. According to his story, the head count before the vessel's return trip came out two more than the one taken when the boat left port. The tourists on his expedition that day were all from Italy and spoke in their native tongue. However, the captain also claimed to hear a few American voices among the tourists that day.

  If his story is true, it's possible the Lonergans slipped in among the divers and simply disappeared once the boat reached the shore. This theory would mean the couple planned ahead of time to spend the night in the middle of the ocean, waiting for an entirely different boat to show up the next day. While it is an interesting theory, it's not very plausible.
• 

  (#9) No One Raised Any Concerns About The Lonergans Even Though Their Possession Were Still On The Boat

  When the Outer Edge boat returned to shore, a crew member found an unattended bag. They placed it in the lost and found, assuming a tourist had forgotten it. 

  Tom and Eileen Lonergan were staying at a local hostel and when they didn't show up for the shuttle to take them back, the driver looked in the shops and restaurants and then called Outer Edge. Despite the fact both Tom and Eileen had left their shoes at the dive shop, it was assumed they somehow managed to return to the hostel on their own after not telling anyone.

  Two days later, Outer Edge owner Jack Narin noticed the bag was still unclaimed in lost and found. He looked inside and discovered Tom's wallet. Finally concerned, he called the hostel and discovered the couple never came back. He contacted police and a search was begun more than 48 hours after the Lonergans failed to get back on their boat. Apparently, none of the crew noticed they were missing two dive jackets and weights.

New Random Displays    Display All By Ranking