The Great Barrier Reef
While scuba diving off the Great Barrier Reef in January 1998, former Peace Corps volunteers Thomas and Eileen Lonergan (pictured) were abandoned by their dive boat. The couple's disappearance went undetected for two days, until a bag containing their belongings was discovered on the ship. In the immediate aftermath some commentators speculated that the couple may have staged their disappearance or have been involved in a suicide pact.

Despite a massive search their bodies were never discovered, though some of their diving gear did wash ashore and fisherman found their diver's slate. The slate, used to communicate to fellow divers underwater read, "Monday Jan 26; 1998 08am. To anyone [who] can help us: We have been abandoned on A[gin]court Reef by MV Outer Edge 25 Jan 98 3pm. Please help us [come] to rescue us before we die. Help!!!" It is widely assumed that the couple succumbed to exhaustion, dehydration, or sharks.

In a creepy eco of the Lonergan's fate, a decade later Richard Neely and Allyson Dalton, another diving couple, were left by their dive boat in May 2008 and drifted for 19 hours off the Great Barrier Reef until they were discovered and rescued.

Thomas Joseph Lonergan and Eileen Cassidy (née Hains) Lonergan, born 1964 and 1969, respectively, were a married couple from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States, who were mistakenly stranded in the Coral Sea on January 25, 1998, while scuba diving with a group of divers off of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The boat which had transported the group to the dive site departed from the location before the Lonergans returned from their dive, with none of the vessel's crew or passengers noticing that the two had not come back aboard. The couple was never found and they are presumed to have died at sea.At the time of the incident, the Lonergans had recently completed a three-year tour of duty with the Peace Corps on the island of Tuvalu in the Pacific Ocean and were repeating that work on Fiji.It was not until two days later, on January 27, 1998, that the pair was discovered to be missing after a bag containing their belongings was found on board the dive boat. A massive air and sea search took place over the following three days. Although some of their diving gear was found washed up later on a beach miles away from where they were lost indicating that they drowned, their bodies were never found. Fishermen found a diver's slate (a device used for communicating underwater) and wrote down what it reportedly read: "[Mo]nday Jan 26; 1998 08am. To anyone [who] can help us: We have been abandoned on A[gin]court Reef by MV Outer Edge 25 Jan 98 3pm. Please help us [come] to rescue us before we die. Help!!!"

Suspicions

Several theories were suggested surrounding their disappearance. At the time, it was suggested that the Lonergans might have staged their disappearance. However, the Lonergans' bank accounts were never touched and their insurance policies were not claimed.
Another theory suggested that the pair committed suicide, or murder-suicide. This theory was bolstered by entries found in both victims' diaries. Excerpts from Tom Lonergan's personal diary were used to portray a deeply disturbed man who was looking for a "quick and peaceful" death. Eileen's writings had expressed concern for her well-being, given Tom's "death wish". She had openly chosen to stay with Tom Lonergan, no matter the outcome.
owever, the diary entries were taken out of context, according to Eileen's parents and family members.
The family, the coroner Noel Nunan, and the Port Douglas police claim that only pages that would validate the suicide theory were leaked to the press, whereas the majority of the diaries remain unread except by the Coroner, Port Douglas police, and the Hains family.

Eileen’s father, John Hains, later said that he suspects the couple ultimately became dehydrated and disoriented and in the end succumbed to drowning, or sharks.
The coroner dismissed suggestions that the Lonergans had either committed suicide or faked their own disappearance, and formally charged Jack Nairn, skipper of the dive boat, with their unlawful killing.
He was later found to be not guilty,but his company was fined after pleading guilty to negligence.
Media

The 2003 movie Open Water is based on the Lonergans' disappearance.
In the film, their names are changed to Daniel Kintner and Susan Watkins.

Original Posted By ny1m1ng►[COLOR=""]wow pake bahasa inggris [/COLOR]

5 Tokoh Terkenal yang Meninggal Akibat Hewan

22 June 2011 | Posted by: uniknya.com

Oleh: Galih Pakuan

[UNIKNYa.COM]: Bukan saja intrik asmara, obat bius, alkohol, penyakit, yang mampu membuat mereka menderita dalam menjelang kematian, namun kedekatan dengan hewan pun dapat berakibat hal yang fatal. Seperti yang terjadi pada 5 tokoh dunia berikut ini:



1. Stephen Robert Irwin

Stephen Robert irwin, dikenal juga sebagai Steve Irwin, dijuluki “The Crocodile Hunter” (Pemburu Buaya), seorang ahli fauna dari Australia. Bersama Istrinya Teri, ia memandu sebuah program satwa liar yang disiarkan secara global.Kemalangan menimpanya saat ia sedang melaksanakan syuting program dokumenter satwa liar, ketika itu seekor pari menusuk dada dan jantungnya, peristiwa itu terjadi pada 4 September 2006.



2. Tom and Eileen Lonergan

pasangan suami istri ini berasal dari Baton Rouge, Lousiana, yang saat itu baru saja menyelesaikan tur tiga tahun bergabung di Korps Penjaga perdamaian. Peristiwa malang terjadi menimpa saat mereka bersama kelompok Selam Australia Great Barrier Reef, sedang melakukan sebuah penyelaman. Perjalanan penyelaman tersebut dengan menggunakan sebuah perahu yang disediakan oleh sebuah perusahaan, Outer Edge Dive, namun secara tak sengaja Tom dan Eileen tertinggal oleh perahu tersebut. Para awak kapal rupanya melakukan kesalah dalam penghitungan jumlah personil, hingga kapal tersebut telah meninggalkan lokasi penyelaman mereka tersadar bahwa Tom dan Eileen tertinggal. Selama lima jam lima awak kapal mencoba mencari pasangan tersebut namun tidak berhasil ditemukan. Akhirnya mereka menyimpulkan kematian pasangan tersebut dengan beberapa dugaan dehidrasi, tenggelam, dan serangan ikan hiu ganas.



3. Timothy Treadwell

Dilahirkan dengan nama Timothy Dexter, adalah seorang pengamat, pencinta lingkungan hidup, naturalis, dan pembuat film dokumenter asal Amerika Serikat. Selama 13 Musim ia tinggal dan hidup dilingkungan padang pasir yang banyak disinggahi oleh beruang, tepatnya di Taman Nasional Katmai Alaska. Di akhir-akhir musim ke-13 di taman tersebut saat itu tahun 2003, ia bersama kekasihnya Amie Huguenard terbunuh akibat terkaman dan gigitan dua ekor beruang grizzly. Sebuah rekaman audio mengenai peristiwa tersebut dapat diselamatkan. Kenangan dan pernghormatan Treadwell terhadap lingkungan dan alam ia sajikan dalam bentuk film dokumenter dengan judul “Grizzly Man”.





4. Cleopatra

Berdasarkan naskah kuno Romawi tertulis bahwa kematian Ratu Cleopatra adalah akibat bunuh diri dengan cara meracuni dirinya sendiri. Namun ada lagi versi lainnya yang lebih tua Strabo, yang hidup pada saat peristiwa itu terjadi, dan berada di Kota Alexandria. Ia mengatakan ada dua versi cerita mengenai kematian Cleopatra; pertama Cleopatra memasukan racun kedalam makanannya, kedua ia benar-benar digigit ular. Kematian Cleoptra disebabkan oleh bunuh dirinya Mark Anthony.



5. Aeschylus

Ia dikenal pula sebagai Bapak penemu ‘tragedy’ dari Yunani bersama dengan Sophocles dan Euripide. Ia mengembangkan beberapa karakter dan tokoh watak yang sangat menonjol dalam konflik sebuah naskah drama. Tidak lebih dari tujuh naskah dramanya yang dipentaskan di era modernisasi. Namun ada sebuah legenda, yang menyatakan bahwa Aeschylus meninggal akibat kepalanya tertimpa seekor kura-kura akibat terlepas dari paruh elang yang sedang terbang melintas. (**)



ane dapat link artikelnya didini nih http://uniknya.com/2011/06/22/5-toko...at-ulah-hewan/