Emily Brown
Friends of a US tourist believed to have been eaten by a shark while on vacation in Indonesia have spoken out to share their thoughts on what happened.
The body of 68-year-old Colleen Monfore was discovered recently by fisherman in the Southeast Asian nation of Timor-Leste, more than 70 miles away from where Monfore was last seen on September 26.
Monfore, a retired mom-of-two, had been on vacation with her husband Mike when she disappeared during a group dive around Pulau Reong island, north of Timor-Leste.
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Efforts to find Monfore proved futile until fishermen captured a shark two weeks later and cut it open to find human remains inside.
After authorities were alerted to the situation, they were able to identify Monfore using fingerprints.
Her friend, Rick Sass, said Monfore was 'really enjoying life' as she embarked on the seven-week diving tour with her husband.
Having taken a closer look at photos from Monfore's last dive, and spoken with Mike about the incident, Sass expressed belief that it was not the shark that actually brought about Monfore's death.
Speaking to The New York Post, Sass - who runs a dive shop with his wife - said: “We do not believe this was a shark attack. Mike thinks she suffered some kind of medical issue in the water."
Sass expressed belief Monfore likely had about half a tank of air left and was about 24-feet deep when she ran into trouble in rough waters.
Sass' wife, Kim, shared in the belief in a post on Facebook, saying: “There was a down current at the turnaround site, but it was manageable. 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.”
Sass 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.”
Sass also pointed out that shark attacks against divers are extremely rare, noting that the group of friends have previously been diving with hammerheads, tiger sharks and bull sharks.
"You have to give them respect and be cautious, but they won’t just attack you," he said.
Monfore has been remembered as an 'amazing woman' who 'loved nature and animals'.
"I know she would have never wanted a shark to be blamed for this tragedy,” he added.
An investigation is underway in Indonesia to try and determine what happened to Monfore.