Colleen Monfore, a 68-year-old American diver from Michigan, has been presumed dead after her body parts were found inside a shark’s stomach approximately 113 km away from where she disappeared while diving in Indonesia. Friends and family are now speculating about the circumstances surrounding her death, with her friend suggesting that Monfore may have succumbed to a medical condition rather than being attacked by the predator.
Monfore was on what was supposed to be a dream seven-week diving holiday with her husband, Mike, when she went missing during a group dive near Pulau Redang island on September 26. After two weeks of searching, fishermen discovered a shark and retrieved human remains from its stomach. Authorities later confirmed Monfore’s identity through fingerprints.
Family friend Rick Sass, who has been in close contact with the Monfore family, stated, “We do not believe this was a shark attack. Mike thinks she suffered some kind of medical issue in the water.” Sass, along with his wife Kim, both experienced divers, analyzed dive data and reviewed photographs from the trip, leading them to suspect that rough waters may have caused Monfore to become separated from her group.
At the time of her disappearance, Monfore was reportedly around 24 feet underwater with approximately half a tank of air left. Kim Sass emphasized her disbelief that environmental factors or a shark attack contributed to Monfore’s fate, stating, “I don’t believe it was the environment and certainly not a shark that ended her life.”
Rick Sass echoed this sentiment, noting the rarity of shark attacks on divers and highlighting Monfore’s extensive diving experience. “We’ve dived with hammerheads, tiger sharks, and bull sharks. You have to give them respect and be cautious, but they won’t just attack you,” he explained.
Photos from the incident reveal the shark cut open with human remains inside a black wetsuit nearby. A local fisherman described the shark as not being in normal health, adding, “I thought it had swallowed plastic or a fishing net. It was cut open to find the problem, and inside there were the remains of a woman.”
As the investigation into Colleen Monfore’s tragic death continues, friends and family remain steadfast in their belief that she was not the victim of a shark attack but rather succumbed to unforeseen circumstances while diving.
Sources By Agencies