Didn't come to town or just didn't come to the gathering?
To town, gathering was already off limits
Did he tell her or was she like waiting at the airport and he never showed?
From what I gathered she went to the airport and did not find out until then. He never showed up, she contacted him (not by voice telecommunication of course) and he came up with some BS story.
Did you ask her why they never spoke, just typed back and forth? Typing is easier than speaking on the phone. You have time to go back and edit your response before hitting 'send' but speaking, you get more of the real deal. If she's still going the online route, she should stick to locals and if they want to meet up, set up a double date or have someone be there at a table nearby. I've done this before with a friend who has met folks online. I just sat at a table nearby. It wasn't because we thought she'd be in danger in a public place, but more for peace of mind, and also an easy out if I got the signal of "get me the hell out of here" in which I'd "bump" into her and take her away.
One time it was my father and I at Peets. Dad, who is of the wtf is this online dating stuff, was amused as I was trying to read her face for signals to intervene.