JAKARTA, INDONESIA – Friends and authorities are grappling with a tragic event after Colleen Monfore, a Michigan woman on a diving vacation, was found dead in an unusual and disturbing manner. Monfore, 68, was on a trip around Pulau Reong island when she was swept away by strong ocean currents on September 26. Efforts by her diving group’s guide to rescue her were unsuccessful.
Days after her disappearance, a fisherman in East Timor made a chilling discovery. Expecting to find plastic or debris causing a health issue in a shark he caught, the fisherman instead found human remains inside the shark’s stomach. Officials identified the remains as Monfore’s, noting the black wetsuit she wore that aligned with the diving suit she was last seen in.
A photograph from the scene grimly confirmed the situation, showing the shark opened with human remains visible. This discovery prompted an investigation led by regional authorities to determine the full circumstances surrounding Monfore’s disappearance and to confirm the identity of the remains.
An official statement from Muhammad Saleh Goro, head of the Regional Technical Implementation Unit for the Management of the Alor Island Marine Park, indicated that further inquiries are being carried out to confirm the identity of the remains and details about her vanishing at sea.
Goro stressed the significance of the investigation, which aims to tie anecdotal evidence to the missing person report filed in Indonesia. Comments from officials in Timor Leste have yet to fully detail whether any other missing person could be connected to the incident.
Friends and family of Monfore are left to mourn the unexpected loss. The investigation’s findings, anticipated soon, are expected to provide further closure and understanding of the tragic accident that took place in the waters near Indonesia.