Forgotten Couples in the Middle of the Sea: The Tragedy That Changed Diving Rules Forever

On January 25, 1998, Tom and Eileen Lonergan, an American couple, took a diving trip to the Great Barrier Reef, a world-class beautiful reef, after completing a volunteer mission in Fiji.

A trip that should have been just a vacation turned out to be a tragedy no one expected.

After the final dive, the two rose to the surface... but the tour boat "Outer Edge" had left the dive site, mistaking all the passengers.

They were left in the middle of the sea alone, in an area full of sea creatures, and no one knew they were missing.

Nearly 48 hours passed before the crew noticed their baggage was still on board, so the search began... but it was too late.

Months later, only an underwater writing board with a message for help was found, and a wetsuit washed ashore; the bodies of the two were never found again.

The incident was concluded to have been caused by a "safety system crash" and became a major turning point of global diving circles, specifically passenger count measures that had to be tightened dramatically.

The tragedy also inspired the film Open Water and led many to look at the "wide sea" with a feeling that was no longer the same.

Reference: All That's Interesting, Outside Magazine