Chapter 25 - Open Water: The Disappearance of Tom and Eileen Lonergan

12/27/22 • 30 min

27 December 2022
The Insidious Agenda Podcast
Chapter 25 - Open Water: The Disappearance of Tom and Eileen Lonergan
https://linktr.ee/insidiousagendapodcast
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and are enjoying this little week in between where days and times really don't exist. That being said, happy Tuesday! Of course, that brings with it a new episode of the Insidious Agenda Podcast.
This week's story is one that inspired the 2003 film, Open Water. It is the disappearance of Tom and Eileen Lonergan; a couple who was left behind on a diving trip in Australia on their way back to the United States after a posting to the peace corps.
Though it's not the usual type of content I do, I believed it was an important story to tell and ties in well to some of our central undertones. That of terror and fear. It's also a bit of an emotional rollercoaster that involves relief, dread, anger and sadness. It's also a major testament to what happens when you simply don't do your job. That being said, it doesn't discount the possibility that it was planned by the Lonergans. I won't get into more than that here.
As we start to wrap up the year, i'll have a New Year's episode coming out on NYE 2022. It will outline my Top 10 favourite moments of the first year of my podcast, fill you all in on what lead to me starting it and capping it all off with our inaugural awards - The Insidi-est!
I hope you enjoy the episode and, as always, thanks for coming back to the Insidious Agenda Podcast. It means more than you know!
Stay spooky,
Nick

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Previous Episode

The Christmas (Folklore) Appendices: Krampus

25 December 2022
The Insidious Agenda Podcast
(Bonus) The Christmas Appendices: Krampus
https://linktr.ee/insidiousagendapodcast
Hello and a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all! As our last Special Bonus Episode for the year, we bring an official/unofficial episode of the Folklore Appendices. With it being Christmas, there is no better subject for our Holiday creature feature than the Christmas Devil, Krampus.
The first third of the episode gives a bit of background on the creature at the center of the legend while the back parts are a short story inspired by the character of Krampus.
I'll be back on Tuesday with our final mainline Chapter of 2022, The Disappearance of Tom and Eileen Lonergan; the story that inspired the film Open Water. As a special bonus episode for New Year's Eve, i'll have a "Year in Review" style episode. Where i'll outline and replay my Top 10 favourite moments in the Podcast from this year and hand out the first iteration of our awards, The Insidi-est!
I hope you have a wonderful day with your families and friends. To those who are celebrating (or just existing) under more tragic circumstances, never forget that you're loved and that you matter. I hope this episode is a bright spot on what might be a more somber day for you. To those deployed in the Armed Forces and those Emergency Services and essential Hospital personnel that are working through the day - from a Veteran, I wanted to thank you for everything you did this year and everything you continue to do for us.
Even if you didn't listen on Christmas Day, i'm glad this episode will be there for you whenever you get the chance to listen in!
Much love to all of you. Again, Merry Christmas and i'll see you on Tuesday!
Stay Festive,
Nick

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Next Episode

Special New Year's Episode - A Year in Review

31 December 2022
The Insidious Agenda Podcast
Special New Year's Episode - A Year in Review
https://linktr.ee/insidiousagendapodcast
Congratulations everyone, we made it. New Year's Eve 2022. It wouldn't have felt right without doing a Year in Review episode. This episode brings a multitude of things. I give you my list of the Top 10 moments of the Podcast in 2022. In the midst of that, I'll tell you what really led to me starting the Podcast before finally moving on to our awards, the Inaugural iteration of The Insidi-est.
The other reason for starting the podcast that I didn't say in the episode was to break the Work - Watch TV - Sleep - Repeat cycle. I wanted to do more than just sleep walk through life and I feel that I accomplished that! Plus, it helps feed my independent, introvertedness :)
This is a fun episode complete with wonderful moments, music, clips of previous episodes all rolled in to one. I hope you enjoy our recap for the first year of the Podcast and there are still many amazing more things to come in 2023.
Happy New Year - and stay spooky!
Nick

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The Insidious Agenda - Chapter 25 - Open Water: The Disappearance of Tom and Eileen Lonergan

Transcript

Young, idealistic and in love. This is how relatives of Thomas Lonergan and Eileen Hains would describe the couple. Tom was 57, born on the 28th of December in 1964; Eileen was 53, born on the 3rd of March, 1969. They were from Baton Rouge, a city in the state of Louisiana. They both would obtain degrees from Louisiana State University. Tom and Eileen met while at LSU, fell in love and were married in Jefferson, Texas on the 24th of June in 1988. Initially the couple were teachers but