American tourist, 68, is feared to have been eaten by a shark after disappearing during a dive off Indonesia’s coast as fisherman finds woman’s remains inside killer beast’s belly

An American tourist is feared to have been eaten by a shark after she disappeared while diving off the coast of Indonesia.

Colleen Monfore, 68, from South Dakota, went missing in the ocean near the Pulau Reong island, off the coast of the country’s Southwest Maluku Regency, on September 26.

She was diving with six friends and a tour guide when a strong current dragged her away around 9am local time. The guide was unable to pull Monfore back to the boat.

Rescue teams searched for eight days before finally giving up on October 3 due to the dangerous conditions at sea and the low chance of finding her.

A fisherman on Sunday in the neighboring country of East Timor found human remains in the belly of a shark. 

Although the remains have yet to be identified, officials in the Liquisa District said the female corpse was still wearing a black wet suit and appeared to be that of a Western woman matching the profile of Monfore.

A fisherman on Sunday in the neighboring country of East Timor found human remains in the belly of a shark

The fisherman who made the discovery has described the disturbing moment he found the body. 

‘The shark was caught but it was not in normal health,’ he recalled. ‘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.’

Officials in East Timor have contacted the coast guard in Indonesia. They have also appealed for details of anyone with missing friends or relatives due to the popularity of diving in the nearby islands, that are Indonesian territory.

Muhammad Saleh Goro, Head of the Regional Technical Implementation Unit (UPTD) for the Management of the Alor Islands Marine Park and surrounding ocean, said: ‘We have coordinated with the Indonesian Embassy (KBRI) in Dili, and the KBRI has confirmed the truth of this information.

The shark’s belly was cut open after the fisherman made the disturbing discovery. Pictured is the inside of the fish that is suspected to have eaten Monfore 

A portion of a woman’s body, suspected to be a diver, is pictured after being recovered from the shark’s belly. Officials say the female corpse was still wearing a black wet suit and appeared to be that of a Western woman matching the profile of Monfore

‘The body of the woman was found in a shark in Timor Leste. It was not in Indonesian territory. We are now investigating the case further to confirm if they are the remains of anyone reported missing in Indonesia.

‘From the diving suit worn by the victim, it is suspected that they were a diver. 

‘The results of the investigation will be published soon after more complete information is available. The anecdotal reports from Timor Leste are that the victim in the shark was foreign female.’

Ipda Giovani BM Toffy, the chief of police in Southwest Maluku where Monfore had first gone missing, said the tour guide with the diving group had initially reported her missing.

He said: ‘The initial search effort was carried out by the victim’s friends because they were on the same trip to the Banda Islands.

Rescue teams searched for Monfore for eight days before finally giving up on October 3 due to the dangerous conditions at sea and the low chance of finding her

Rescuers are pictured during the multi-day search for Monfore, which was carried out around the waters of Reong Island using long boats or speed boats

Pulau Reong is a small island located in the Alor Archipelago of Indonesia, a region renowned for its exceptional scuba diving. Rescuers are pictured during the search for Monfore

‘We coordinated with the Nabar Village Government to mobilize residents to help search the coast facing Reong Island and conduct searches around the waters of Reong Island using long boats or speed boats, but the victim has not been found.’

Pulau Reong is a small island located in the Alor Archipelago of Indonesia, a region renowned for its exceptional scuba diving. 

Diving around Pulau Reong itself is becoming more popular due to the biodiversity, unique dive sites, pristine corals and quieter environment compared with neighboring Thailand and the Philippines.