Boat Skipper Is Charged In Deaths Of 2 U.S. Divers -- Coroner Criticizes Safety Procedures On Australian Craft

CAIRNS, Australia - The skipper of a tour boat was charged today with manslaughter for leaving behind two American scuba divers on a trip to Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

Coroner Noel Nunan alleged that captain Geoffrey Ian "Jack" Nairn was responsible for the deaths of Thomas Lonergan, 33, and his wife, Eileen, 28.

The couple, from Baton Rouge, La., were last seen on Jan. 25 on Nairn's boat, Outer Edge, along with 24 other divers.

An extensive police search failed to find the Lonergans, although some diving equipment believed to belong to them was later found washed up on beaches in north Queensland. The equipment included a writing board used by divers to communicate underwater that bore the message: "Please help us. Find us soon before we die."

Nunan rejected claims the couple may have staged their disappearance or were involved in a murder-suicide. He said they probably drowned or were eaten by sharks in the two or three days after they were left.

"I am satisfied a reasonable jury would find Mr. Nairn guilty of manslaughter," Nunan said.

After procedural hearings, Nairn will now face a jury trial on manslaughter charges. In the next phase of the case, he will appear before a judge for a trial date to be set.

The coroner's report will be handed over to state prosecutors who will prepare a case that will be presented to a jury.

The coroner criticized safety procedures on the Outer Edge, saying Nairn failed in his responsibilities as skipper by not checking the dive master's log and making a head count before turning his boat to shore.

Nunan was also critical of the 50-hour lapse between the return of the boat and when the disappearances were reported to police.

Nairn also faces separate charges of breaching state health and workplace-safety laws, the Queensland government said today.

Nunan made a number of recommendations to improve safety standards for the dive industry, including appointing a mandatory lookout and introducing a method of checking that all divers have returned to a boat.

Eileen Lonergan's mother, Kathy Haines, welcomed the end of the inquest but said it had been heartbreaking.

"We hope the government of Queensland will formulate some laws to govern the dive industry, which is a dangerous industry right now," Haines told Australia's Nine television network.

Nairn was granted bail. No plea was required.