Retired 68-year-old mother of two from Holland, Michigan, Colleen Monfore, disappeared under mysterious circumstances during a diving excursion near Pulau Reong Island, Indonesia on September 26, 2024. Monfore, who was diving with her friends, was swept away by strong currents and despite efforts by her guide to save her, she was lost to the ocean.
An extensive eight-day search was launched for Monfore, but it ended without any significant leads. On October 3, a tragi discovery was made when a fisherman in Timor-Leste, about 70 miles from the last known location of Monfore, caught a shark. The fisherman thought the shark had ingested a fishing net or debris due to its unusual behavior. However, upon opening the shark, he found human remains, a black wetsuit, and a bathing suit. The fisherman noted, “The shark was caught but it was not in normal health. I thought it had swallowed plastic or a fishing net.”
Colleen Monfore was later identified through her fingerprints, according to Rick Sass, a close family friend who has been actively involved with the family throughout this trying period.
In a social media post, Kim Sass, Rick’s wife, stated that although there was a down current at the turnaround site, it was not unmanageable. Having completed over a thousand dives with Monfore, she did not attribute her friend’s death to the environment or a shark attack.
Rick Sass revealed that Monfore was a seasoned diver with over 30 years of experience, having dived in various locations like Bali, the Philippines, and Bikini Atoll with her husband, Mike, and the Sasses. Mike Monfore suspects his wife might have encountered a health issue while underwater, and later been eaten by the shark.
The Sasses, who have operated a diving shop for more than four decades, examined dive photos, discussed the incident at length with Mike Monfore, and reviewed data from his dive computer. They believe that Monfore likely got separated from the group due to turbulent waters and did not die from a shark attack. Rick noted that she was approximately 24 feet underwater with about half a tank of air left when she vanished.
Rick Sass shared that Mike Monfore is grappling with his wife’s untimely death and the difficulty of repatriating her remains. He has been struggling with insomnia due to the need to coordinate with Indonesian authorities, given the 12-hour time difference, and the emotional toll of discussing the tragedy with friends throughout the day.
Indonesian authorities have confirmed that an investigation into the incident is currently ongoing.
