An American tourist is feared to have been eaten by a shark after she went missing during a dive off the coast of Indonesia.
Colleen Monfore, 68, from South Dakota, went missing in the ocean near Pulau Reong Island, off the coast of Maluku Regency in the country’s southwest, on September 26.
She was diving with six friends and a tour guide when a strong current swept her away around 9 a.m. local time. The guide was unable to get Monfore back to the boat.
Rescuers searched for eight days before finally giving up on October 3 due to dangerous sea conditions and little chance of finding her.
A fisherman found human remains in the belly of a shark on Sunday in the neighboring country of East Timor.
Although the remains have not yet been identified, Liquisa district officials said the woman’s body was still wearing a black wetsuit and appeared to be that of a Western woman who matched Monfore’s profile.
Colleen Monfore, 68 (pictured) from South Dakota, was with six friends exploring the stunning tropical ocean around the island of Pulau Reong off the coast of Maluku Regency in the southwest of the country on September 26 . But the strong currents dragged her with her. desperate group, and the guide could not drag her back to the boat
A fisherman found human remains in the belly of a shark on Sunday in the neighboring country of East Timor.
The fisherman said: ‘The shark was caught but its health was not normal. I thought he had swallowed plastic or a fishing net. They opened it to find the problem and inside were the remains of a woman.’
East Timor officials have contacted the Indonesian coast guard. They have also asked for details of anyone with friends or family missing due to the popularity of diving on nearby islands, which are Indonesian territory.
Muhammad Saleh Goro, Head of the Regional Technical Implementation Unit (UPTD) for the Management of the Alor Islands Marine Park and the surrounding ocean, said: “We have coordinated with the Indonesian Embassy (KBRI) in Dili, and the KBRI has confirmed the truth.” of this information.
‘The woman’s body was found in a shark in Timor Leste. It was not in Indonesian territory. We are now investigating the case further to confirm whether these are the remains of someone reported missing in Indonesia.
‘Due to the diving suit the victim was wearing, it is suspected that he was a diver. The results of the research will be published shortly after more complete information is available. Anecdotal reports from Timor Leste say the shark victim was a foreign female.
Rescuers searched for Monfore for eight days before finally giving up on October 3 due to dangerous sea conditions and little chance of finding her.
Rescuers are pictured during the multi-day search for Monfore.
This is the inside of the shark’s belly where the remains believed to be Monfore’s were found
Ipda Giovani BM Toffy, police chief in southwestern Maluku, where Monfore had first gone missing, said the diving group’s tour guide had initially reported him missing.
He said: ‘The initial search was carried out by the victim’s friends because they were on the same trip to the Banda Islands.
“We coordinated with the Nabar village government to mobilize residents to help search the coast in front of Reong Island and conduct searches around the waters of Reong Island using long boats or speed boats, but no one has been found. to the victim.”
Pulau Reong is a small island located in the Alor Archipelago of Indonesia, a region famous for its exceptional diving.
Diving around Pulau Reong is becoming more popular due to the biodiversity, unique dive sites, pristine corals and calmer environment compared to neighboring Thailand and the Philippines.