Unfortunately, Colleen Monfore, a 68-year-old woman from Michigan, South Dakota, died on September 26, 2024, during a diving trip off the coast of Indonesia. She had been enjoying what her close ones describe as a 'dream' vacation with her husband Mike and six friends when strong currents separated her from the group while diving near Pulau Reong island.
Despite an intense search lasting eight days, her remains were only found later inside a shark caught by fishermen in East Timor.
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So, who was Colleen Monfore? Here's what her close friends have to say.
Colleen Monfore, a retired mother of two and a devoted grandmother, deeply valued her family. She had been married for many years, and her grandchildren were a constant source of joy. With more than a thousand dives under her belt, her friends were stunned by her sudden death, believing it was likely due to a medical issue rather than the environment or a shark attack.
Rick Saas, a longtime, close friend of Mike and Colleen Monfore, spoke to the New York Post and dismissed claims that a shark attack caused the incident. He explained that both Mike and Colleen were skilled deep-sea divers. Rick shared that the couple had been diving with them for over 30 years, going on numerous trips to places like Bali, the Philippines, and Bikini Atoll. Rick told the Post:
"We do not believe this was a shark attack. Mike thinks she suffered some kind of medical issue in the water."
Kim Sass, Rick Sass's wife, shared memories of Colleen Monfore on her Facebook account. She mentioned that Mike and Colleen met in high school when Mike was already an avid diver, and it didn’t take long for Colleen to develop the same love for the ocean.
According to Sass, the couple raised two children and welcomed four grandchildren throughout their lives, but that didn’t stop them from continuing to travel the world and dive together.
Kim took to her Facebook to voice her opinion on the situation firmly. She said:
"There was a down current at the turnaround site, but it was manageable..."
She also wrote:
"Easily done 1,000+ dive[s] with this gracious woman... I don't believe it was the environment and certainly not a shark that ended her life."
Kim and Rick Sass, who have run a dive shop for over 40 years, also reviewed data from the dive monitor that Mike frequently used on his trips to find more information about Colleen's dive.
Rick Sass also mentioned that Colleen would never have wanted a shark to be blamed for her death. Saas mentioned that her close ones used to call Colleen Monfore 'Saint Colleen' because of her love for nature and animals.
"Shark attacks on divers are extremely rare" he explained. "We’ve dived with hammerheads, tiger sharks, and bull sharks. You have to respect them and stay cautious, but they don’t just attack people."
Rick Sass, demonstrating true friendship, also shared that he has hardly slept and remains in constant contact with Indonesian authorities despite the 12-hour time difference. The investigation is still ongoing.
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