Okay, I was gonna write a post on this last night, but I was sleepy – deal with it, okay? excellent.
Either way, in my sleepy stooper, I saw the Trailer for “Open Water” – an indie flick about two people who get left behind when their deep sea scuba exhibition leaves the dive site without them — Leaving them – dogpaddling – in the Middle of The Ocean. With nothing but them and mile after mile of endless water surrounding them. And it’s based on a true story. How much of a CRAP day would that be? Holy gee-willickers. Now, I’m certain the truth will be stretched for dramatic’s sake, however, the premise of this movie and the accompanying trailer gives me the creeps.
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When a movie is particularly affective, I sometimes look up information on the web. Days after seeing Open Water at my house, I was still thinking about what the couple must have felt. I think the brother is right by implicating the crew. A better system should be implemented so as to prevent such tragedy from happening in the future.
A few things about the movie’s storyline were kind of off to me. The first time they saw a boat it was too far to swim for it so that was understandable but another time was when they saw a ship and decided to not bother. At that point it would have been worth the effort. Then later on they saw that buoy in the water and were going to swim to it then for some reason stopped and didn’t bother afterwards. Regardless of the current, after being stuck for that long in the ocean I would think most people would make some attempt at getting to a boat or the shore no matter how difficult. They only had concern of getting eaten by sharks and didn’t have any regard that even with no sharks around they would still die by dehydration. I know myself I would rather die trying then die by doing nothing. The script was purely fictional so they could have made it more realistic unless they intentionally wanted to portray the couple as complete morons with no common sense. The last thing is the scene where Daniel gets bit by a shark and is bleeding pretty badly and since sharks are attracted to blood it didn’t just take him out right there and then and just left. I’m no expert on sharks but that seems very unrealistic. Whomever wrote the script I hope they weren’t doing it based on how they would react because they would be dead in any life-threatining circumstance very quickly.
A few things about the movie’s storyline were kind of off to me. The first time they saw a boat it was too far to swim for it so that was understandable but another time was when they saw a ship and decided to not bother. At that point it would have been worth the effort. Then later on they saw that buoy in the water and were going to swim to it then for some reason stopped and didn’t bother afterwards. Regardless of the current, after being stuck for that long in the ocean I would think most people would make some attempt at getting to a boat or the shore no matter how difficult. They only had concern of getting eaten by sharks and didn’t have any regard that even with no sharks around they would still die by dehydration. I know myself I would rather die trying then die by doing nothing. The script was purely fictional so they could have made it more realistic unless they intentionally wanted to portray the couple as complete morons with no common sense. The last thing is the scene where Daniel gets bit by a shark and is bleeding pretty badly and since sharks are attracted to blood, it (the shark) didn’t just take him out right there and then and just left. I’m no expert on sharks but that seems very unrealistic. Whomever wrote the script I hope they weren’t doing it based on how they would react because they would be dead in any life-threatining circumstance very quickly.
I cannot understand how there can be even the slightest doubt who is responsible. The captian of the boat is responsible period. The captian is 100% responsible for everything on and everything that has to do with his ship. The crew, the passangers, the equipment, everything. If something happens, wether it was his fault directly or not makes no matter, he must accept the responsibility for what happened because he is the captian. Otherwise he has no buisness being the captian of anything.
Just saw the movie. I was deeply moved by it. My girlfriend is Austrailian and has very strong opinions about the tragedy. She seems convinced that Tom carried out a murder/suicide.
That idea makes no logical sense to me. The main reason being that you would have to “plan” for the crew to make the ghastly and rare (according to my girlfriend) error for the “plan” to work.
We only know one thing. The crew made a huge mistake. We also know the crew did not notice the couple’s belonging for 2 days. This adds up to a company that was not operating in a competent manner. Any speculation about the mental state of the couple is merely that…speculation. And frankly, it smells of an attempt to shift blame. I find it a HUGE stretch to ignore all the missteps by the boat crew and place any blame on the couple.
Hey!!!!! Omg i can’t believe she was your sister i am so sorry! It must be hard for you and your family especially not knowing what happend to your sister and brother in law. I don’t believe they faked their own deaths because if you think about it why would you want to do that????? I fdid see the movie it made me jump a bit but it is quite boring. My love to yourself and your family, John and i agree she is in a better place. Look after yourself!
After experiencing the realism of this movie I was awake most of the night, unable to see anything but two heads together. Every time my husband’s foot or knee would brush against mine in his sleep I’d bolt up with my heart in my throat. What a nightmare. I will say this though. Daniel’s comment about “being back in our hectic life sounds like heaven to me now” will be in my mind the next time I feel overwhelmed by work, kids and other issues. You’d have to have a Lego for a brain not to come away from that film affected. That this couple apparently survived the night in the ocean (their dive tablet)is a triumph of the human spirit, despite their not having physically survived, and I imagine in those final hours their love, respect and empathy for one another hit an intensity few of us may ever be fortunate enough to know.
To the families of Tom and Eileen,
I saw the movie last night. I went to sleep and woke up with the movie on my mind. My heart goes out to you. It must be fustrating to read from idiots like Kaitlin who have no clue as to the point of the movie. It was an eye opener and will make me much more aware of my situation for any of my future dives. A positive!
John P.
Hello All,
I too have just seen the movie. I must admit, I’m glad I rented the DVD because I fast forwarded most of the parts where the couple are in the water and STRUGGLING to survive. why watch all the details in between, when all one really wants to know is, were they rescued or not? I avoided alot of unneeded suspense and emotional trauma I think, by just fast forwarding. I didn’t do any research before hand, so I didn’t know whether they were going to be rescued or die. I found myself very much involved with the couple, and very angry at the incompetence/negligence at the dive company for their stupid mistakes. I kept placing myself in the couple’s situation and trying to find a solution myself. I probably would have tried to swim for the boats that were within sight. I mean, you’ve got fins on for heavens sake, they give you much more speed. If not that, I was thinking, why not try to gauge what direction land is and start swimming in that direction? Also, there was a buoy in sight near the end of the movie. Could that have been used somehow?
All in all a very disturbing film for me. As far as if the movie was “good” or not, It was definitely realistic. The ending was just very..disturbing.
Dean.
I saw the movie “Open Water” today (Jan. 1, 2005). I did not know what to expect but knew it was based on a “true story”.
After watching the movie I thought it was very boring (expectations too high). I decided to watch all the bonus material on the DVD and learned that the film was pretty much “home-made” and casted a couple of “not-so-well-known” actors. Once all material had been viewed I decided to go on the Internet to read about Tom and Eileen Lonergan (Daniel and Susan, in the movie). I must say that after reading articles on the Internet the movie was very good, considering it was made on weekends and vacation time for 2+ years. Also, the terrifying unknown remains a mystery but was filmed in a way that most people would believe could have happened.
As I type I keep wondering what really happened to Tom and Eileen. I can believe that shark attacks or drowning could have caused this unfortunate tragedy. Also, it would not be out of the question for a “murder-suicide” to have occured (although I choose to call it “death by choice” in this case). Would it be out of the question for the couple to have “wanted” to die and not withstand a (or another) terrifying shark attack or the horrible thought of drowning? Think about it for a second before cursing me. I seriously doubt that Tom and Eileen faked their own deaths. Sounds to me like someone wanted a little publicity…especially those that “claimed” they saw Tom and Eileen.
I realize that the crew had the ultimate responsibility of accounting for all personnel on their boat, however, it is chilling to believe that 24 other divers (18 in the movie) did NOT realize that two of their fellow divers were unaccounted for.
My sympathies go out to John Harris Jr. (Eileen’s brother), all family members and friends of Eileen and Tom. Only God knows what truly happened. As boring as the movie seemed after watching it, educating myself by reading stories and the thought of this actually happening (and could happen to me, you, or anyone) terrifies me beyond belief.
no afence but this movie isnt even scary this movie is more boring than…..um…well,this is more boring than Shawn of the Dead!!!!******:)
Oh my gosh, Eileen was your sister?!
I’m so sorry. I know it happened a long time ago, but I’m still so sorry. Wanting to see the movie Open Water, I had no idea there was a true story behind it.
It may seem kind of strange, but I just published a book, and I hope to publish another one about what really happened to them. It makes me sort of mad when they put out “Based on true events” and hardly anything in the movie is for real. I want to correct this. What do you suppose happened?
It’s like a neverending Strongbad e-mail on this site.
If you want to be possessive, it’s just “I-T-S,” but if you’re using a conjunction, it’s
“I-T-apostrophe-S!” scalawag.
the grammar suck
the movie suck
Alex. Perhaps it is you who should think before writing on a blog page again.
Most of your statements are true. It is a sincerely tragic event that happened to those unfortunate souls. Not arguing that at all.
But the entire premise of your double spaced attack was that the poster “keaco” had “pretty much blamed the Lonergans for their own dillemma” is entirely inaccurate.
Keaco’s statement was that the entire situation sounded unbelievable and even asks how this could even be possible to “forget” you had divers under water. That was all.
Your sentiments are noted, but none of the above posters said it was the Lonergan’s fault that this happened to them.
To the moron who (keaco)pretty much blamed the
Lonergans for their own dillemma YOU SUCK!!!
How could you be so careless of someone else’s
family? Did you ever think about how THEY must
feel? Guess not… I hope something this awful
never happens to you or someone you care about…
because I’m pretty sure you would feel just as
awful as the Lonergan’s loved ones do… You owe
them a very sincere apology, and to think before
you write on a blog page again…
Alex Wilson
John, my heart goes out to you and your family, some of the comments on here are stupid. And so were the crew from the boat!
The fact that this happened is tragic. More tragic however, is the cruel way that some have tried to pawn off the responsibility of their actions. I have read the articles and agree with Cynthia, Eileen and Tom’s death were at the hands of someone else’s incompetence. To the families of Tom and Eileen, my heart and prayers go out ot you. To lose a loved one is hard, to lose them by the hand of someone else, more so. John, I agree with your dad, how Nairn was found innocent of manslaughter, I’ll never understand. When you have a business like that, it is YOUR responsibilty to count, double count, and triple count heads, gear, etc. Although I look forward to seeing the movie, it is with profound sadness that I will think of your sister and brother-in-law and be reminded of how senseless it all was.
I find it ludicrous that there is any controversy at all about what happened and who is at fault. The dive boat left them and that is an absolute fact. The other scenarios (faking their own death, death wish, etc) are completely irrelevant. The dive boat was responsible for accounting for their passengers, which they didn’t do. End of story.
Death by the incompetence of others always troubles me.
Thanks, Kortnie.
I really appreciate your support.
It less difficult to write about this than it is to be silent and allow stupid rumors to persist.
The movie, by the way, was quite good. I especially like it because it vindicates Eileen and Tom by placing the blame squarely on the dive boat for leaving them in the water.
Even though the film is not technically about Eileen and Tom, as far as I’m concerned its almost as if someone had followed them from the boat that day.
Thanks again for giving me a forum.
John
I loved the movies jaws 1,2, and 3 so i KNOW for a fact i will like open waters!
i cant wait to see this movie !!! it looks soooo scary . i love scary movies ! i cant believe it was a true story that would be so awfull to have that happen to you i cant even imagine the terror that they went through.
i cant wait to see this movie !!! it looks soooo scary . i love scary movies ! i cant believe it was a true story that would be so awfull to have that happen to you i cant even imagine the terror that they went through.
I’m sorry that the idea and production of this movie had to come from the true tragic events that took place in 1998, and my heart goes out to their families for their loss. Maybe the film will help some people remove their blinders, and see the situation for what it truly was and not some ABSURD, BRAIN-DEFICIANT theories that they “faked their deaths” or committed a “murder-suicide”. I don’t think it would hurt for some people (not naming any names ) to read this again–HAVE SOME RESPECT!!!
But the truth is known. Did you not read the comment above yours, Usagi, from John Hains Jr., brother of Eileen Lonergan? That was his sister, you should show some respect. John, I live in Baton Rouge. I really admire your bravery concerning your above comment — I know that even thinking, much less writing, about your sister’s tragic death must be very painful. Yes, of course that’s what happened, they were left behind by stupid boat jerks. It’s a shame. I don’t know you or your family, but please give them my best wishes. Eileen’s in a safe place now, and has been since January ’98. You’re very brave.
Its a terrible scenario. Some of those articles state the couple might have faked their own death or it was a murder suicide. Suck that the truth will never be known.
Keaco,
Eileen was my older sister.
“Like th dive boat wouldnt have realized they left behind 2 people or at worse realized it when they got back to shore then went back out to look for them, etc??”
That’s exactly what happened. The story behind the story is that Jack Nairn, the skipper, was having an affair with one of the dive masters, (or dive mistress, if you prefer), and they were in a hurry to get back to shore that afternoon for a beach party so they could spend time together before he had to return home to his wife. That’s why they left early, that’s why they were in a hurry to leave, and that’s why things were done in a sloppy fashion resulting in not only a messed up head count, but an incomplete dive log, unnoticed gear left on board and on the docks, and unchecked in rented dive gear (still attached to the divers…)
If you still have doubts, try doing a little reading:
http://216.239.41.104/search?q=cache:rJK9CCqGO1gJ:www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/07/20/1090089152066.html%3Ffrom%3Dtop5+Eileen+Tom+Lonergan&hl=en
http://www.cdnn.info/industry/i040523/i040523.html
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/009200407231714.htm
http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,4120,1267074,00.html
And that’s just a small sample of the dozens of articles that have come out again this year. There are even more from 1998.
So, while I agree that a dive boat with two dozen divers failed to notice 2 were missing is complete bullshit, its bullshit that actually happened and cost the lives of my sister and her husband.
John
I think the movie looks absolutely scary. I think that having that happen must be so terrible. I definately have a fear of water…so that movie will get to me
Actually Keaco… It did actually happen…..
*********************
WARNING SPOILERS!!!!!!
*********************
DON’T READ IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW.
Here is an article about Eileen and Tom Lonergan, who died in 1998 when they were left behind — Open Water is based on that story… (In the real story, it took two *DAYS* before someone noticed they may have been left behind…)
True Story Article
Here is an Article about Dan Carlock who, only one month ago, was left behind for 5 hours by his diving crew before they realized he wasn’t there.
Dan Carlock Article
Sadly, these terrible mistakes have and do happen, albeit rarely.
I hope the movie is better than what it sounds like….sounds like bullshit to me! Like th dive boat wouldnt have realized they left behind 2 people or at worse realized it when they got back to shore then went back out to look for them, etc?? I dunno about this!
ya…no more acid for breakfast!
Nah…. bowl of cornflakes suddenly turning into a large leopard when you’re eating them.. that’d be pretty scary.
thats like, my worst nightmare!