I can’t imagine the terror

In **1998**, Tom and Eileen Lonergan, a young couple from Louisiana, vanished during a scuba diving trip at Australia’s **Great Barrier Reef**. Their disappearance later inspired the film *Open Water* and remains one of the most haunting mysteries in modern diving history.

The couple, both experienced divers, joined 24 others aboard the MV *Outer Edge* for a day at **St. Crispin’s Reef**. After completing two dives, they stayed underwater longer than advised during their third. When the dive crew conducted a headcount, confusion caused by swimmers re-entering the water led to a fatal mistake — Tom and Eileen were mistakenly counted, though they never returned to the boat.

The vessel departed, leaving the pair stranded in open water. Their absence went unnoticed until two days later, when their unclaimed dive bags were finally opened, revealing IDs and personal belongings. By then, it was too late.

A massive air and sea search turned up only scattered equipment: wetsuits, tanks, and buoyancy vests — but never their bodies. Disturbingly, their recovered diaries revealed unsettling thoughts. Tom had written months earlier that he felt “ready to die,” while Eileen feared she might be caught in her husband’s “death wish.”

Speculation swirled — some believed the couple staged their disappearance, but with no withdrawals from their bank accounts or insurance claims, most evidence pointed to a **tragic accident at sea**.

To this day, Tom and Eileen’s fate remains uncertain, a chilling reminder of the dangers of human error in unforgiving waters.