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Missing woman’s remains found inside shark? Friends dismiss reports as ‘false’ but…
The remains of an American woman, reported missing off the coast of Indonesia last month, are believed to have been discovered inside a shark’s stomach.
The remains of an American woman, reported missing off the coast of Indonesia last month, are believed to have been discovered inside a shark’s stomach.
Colleen Monfore, 68, was enjoying a diving trip with friends off the coast of Indonesia when she was dragged off by strong currents on September 26. She remained missing despite a massive search operation spanning eight days.
According to a report published yesterday by The Sun, a fisherman in the neighbouring country of Timor-Leste found human remains inside a shark a few days ago.
“The shark was caught but it was not in normal health. 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,” the fisherman said.
The fisherman also found a wetsuit and a swimsuit similar to the one Monfore was wearing when she disappeared at sea.
While some reports suggest that the remains have been identified as Monfore’s, authorities said they may have belonged to another missing person and are carrying out an investigation. Officials in East Timor are reaching out to the Indonesian coast guard and have requested information about anyone with missing friends or relatives.
Meanwhile, further doubts have been cast on this theory by a woman who claims to be Monfore’s friend.
“This is false”
Kim Sass took to Facebook yesterday to say that she and others did not believe their “longtime friend” Colleen Monfore died in a shark attack.
“Rick and I recently lost a very good, very longtime friend, Colleen Monfore, who died while diving in Indonesia. It has been a horrible 2 weeks for her family and for us, her friends. Her body was finally found several days ago and the media is saying it was a shark attack. Evidence says this is false,” Sass wrote in her post.
She said it was unrealistic that Monfore’s body was still identifiable when sharks’ stomachs are adapted for rapid digestion.
“Colleen's body was identifiable. Her finger prints (again identifiable) are being used by our US Embassy and the local government for proof of death. This would not be possible if the shark had attacked her weeks ago,” Sass elaborated.
She concluded her post by saying that Monfore likely died of medical issues, adding that it was “certainly not a shark that ended her life.”
