NEW YORK, New York (29 May 2008) — THE couple who miraculously survived 19 hours in north Queensland waters said they are heartbroken over what they call "preposterous" and "mortifying" talk they staged the incident. British dive instructor Richard Neely, 38, and American partner Allyson Dalton, yesterday told The Daily Telegraph they were adamant the Great Barrier Reef dive operator was to blame for what could have been a deadly mishap. They also denied taking a water bottle on the dive, rejected claims they failed to follow safety instructions or broke any rules when they were separated from their diving group at Paradise Lagoon, off Airlie Beach in the Whitsundays region off north Queensland on Friday. Ms Dalton even suggested OzSail, the owner of the Pacific Star dive charter, should pay any part of their costly rescue bill not covered by their diving insurance. "Our insurance covers the rescue but we wouldn't have been in that situation had the dive company followed standard operating procedures and therefore it's not our fault that there was all of this effort made to rescue us - it was the dive boat operators," she said. Speaking in New York after an interview with NBC's Today Show, the couple also told The Daily Telegraph they wanted to again thank their Australian rescuers and if they could, they would take them out for a beer. The couple was rescued against the odds early on Saturday after spending Friday night out in choppy shark-infested waters. But an escalating bitter war of words has erupted between the divers and OzSail. The company accused the pair of failing to follow "clear instructions" and questioned their story and at least one passenger contradicted their claims that they saw no activity on the boat while they were waiting to be rescued. Ms Dalton, 40, said the couple were victims and the way some people had attacked them was "heartbreaking". "We thought we were going to die," she said. "We came that close that we really were on the verge of giving up. Why would we put ourselves in that position in any intentional way?" | Out of the pond and in the money: Former D-listers Richard Neely and Alison Dalton pause for an A-list photo op in New York City where they are cashing in on their tale of survival. She said it made "absolutely zero sense" and she could see no logical reason why the couple would want to stage their disappearance. Mr Neely said they had been paid less than $10,000 for their interview with the Sunday Mirror in London. The couple also appeared on the Nine Network in Australia. "We have approached nobody. We have been approached," he said. The couple is also doing interviews with NBC's high rating Dateline program. It has been rumoured the couple could net about $US250,000 ($261,000) from all of their media deals. CDNN RELATED NEWSAUSTRALIA - In over their heads?AUSTRALIA - Tricky Dick and Dirty Al? Tourist couple accused of scuba scamAUSTRALIA - Missing tourists rescued after spending night in oceanAUSTRALIA - Two tourists missing after scuba diving accident in WhitsundaysAUSTRALIA - German tourist dies scuba diving at Bait ReefSCUBA FORUMDIVE IN - Discuss this articleKNOW BEFORE YOU GOSCUBALINX :: Dive AustraliaCYBER DIVER TRAVEL GUIDE :: AustraliaCDNN DESTINATIONS :: Australia | 
