A woman from Michigan has been eaten by a shark while she was on vacation.
Colleen Monfore, from Holland, Michigan, was on vacation in Indonesia with a few friends when they decided to go on a diving excursion to explore the beautiful waters around Pulau Reong island, north of Timor-Leste and off the coast of the Southwest Maluku Regency.
However, while taking part in the activity on September 26, the 68-year-old suddenly got separated from the group and seemingly disappeared without a trace.
Two weeks later, her remains were discovered in the belly of a shark.
Speaking to the New York Post, Rick Sass, a friend close to the family confirmed the news, adding that the avid diver was believed to have died from a different issue before being devoured.
Two fishermen had caught the shark over 70 miles away from the location where the victim initially went missing, and upon cutting it open, discovered partly-digested human remains in the stomach of the beast.
They contacted the local authorities who managed to identify Colleen via the body’s fingerprints and alerted her loved ones.
Rick, as well as Colleen's husband Mike, stated that they believed she had suffered from a "medical issue" as she was approximately 24 feet below the water and probably had half a tank of air left, he said.
While it is unclear whether Colleen had any medical issues prior to the dive, her friends and family members are convinced that her death was not in connection with the shark, though after she died in the water, the shark must have mistaken her for a dead fish and consumed part of her remains.
"We do not believe this was a shark attack. Mike thinks she suffered some kind of medical issue in the water," Sass, who owns a dive shop with his wife Kim, told The NY Post.
The pair allegedly also examined photos from the dive spoke with Mike, and reviewed data from the dive computer, which led them to this conclusion.
"There was a down current at the turnaround site, but it was manageable,” Kim Sass wrote in a Facebook post discussing the ordeal. “I’ve easily done 1000+ dive[s] with this gracious woman... I don’t believe it was the environment and certainly not a shark that ended her life."
Rick also added: "They dove massive numbers of trips with us over 30 years. Bali, Philippines, Bikini Atoll, you name it.
"She knew what she was doing."
Mike and his late wife bonded over their love for the sea when they first met in high school.
The pair had two children and, eventually, four grandchildren, but they never stopped traveling the world and exploring the seas together.
"They were both retired and really enjoying life," Rick said of the couple.
"We used to call her ‘Saint Colleen.’ She was an amazing woman,: he added. “She loved nature and animals. I know she would have never wanted a shark to be blamed for this tragedy.”
He also noted that shark attacks against divers are extremely rare.
"And sharks are not that way. We’ve dove with hammerheads, tiger sharks, bull sharks. You have to give them respect and be cautious, but they won’t just attack you."
Rick confirmed that Mike is having a difficult time dealing with the death of his partner.
"He’s hardly been sleeping at all, partly because he’s up on the phone with Indonesia, which is a 12-hour time difference," he said. "He’s answering phone calls in the middle of the night, and talking to us during the day, and not just not being able to sleep because of this horrible thing that happened."
An investigation into the matter is currently underway.
