Parts of a woman’s body were found inside a shark’s stomach two weeks after she went missing in Indonesia. Colleen Monfore, a 68-year-old experienced diver from South Dakota, disappeared on a diving trip near Pulau Reong, a small island known for its scuba diving spots, on September 26.
Rescue teams searched for her for eight days but stopped because of dangerous sea conditions and the low chance of finding her. However, two weeks later, a fisherman near Timor-Leste made a shocking discovery. After killing a shark that seemed to be in distress, he found the woman’s remains, along with her wetsuit and bathing suit, inside the shark’s stomach.
The fisherman who caught the shark said it wasn’t healthy, and he thought it had swallowed something like plastic or a fishing net. When they cut it open, they found the remains of a woman inside.
At first, people thought the shark had attacked and eaten Ms. Monfore, but her friends now believe she probably died from a medical issue days earlier.
Her friend Kim Sass wrote on Facebook, “It’s been a horrible two weeks. [Ms. Monfore’s] body was found a few days ago, and the media says it was a shark attack, but the evidence shows that’s not true.”
The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources explained that it can take a shark several days to fully digest its food, and during this time, its stomach produces acid strong enough to dissolve metal.
Kim Sass said that Colleen’s body was still identifiable. Her fingerprints are being used by the U.S. Embassy and the local government to confirm her death, which wouldn’t be possible if the shark had attacked her weeks ago.
Colleen’s husband said she would have been heartbroken to know that a shark died because of her, and that her death was making sharks look bad again.