A horrified fisherman made a grisly discovery of a human body inside the belly of a shark.
The body was clad in a black wet suit and is feared to be that of 68-year-old Colleen Monfore from South Dakota.
The US tourist was reported missing on September 26 after being swept away by strong sea currents, while on a diving trip with six friends around the Pulau Reong island in Indonesia.
Rescue teams searched frantically for the missing diver for eight days, before finally calling off their search on October 3 due to dangerous sea conditions.
A fisherman in East Timor caught a shark on Sunday and gutted its belly.
To his surprise and horror, he discovered human remains that looked like a Western woman inside.
“The shark was caught but it was not in normal health,” the fisherman told local reporters.
“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.”
Authorities have yet to officially identify the corpse and have asked relatives of anyone missing to contact them.
However, officials in the Liquiçá District said the body appeared to match the profile of Ms Monfore.
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 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.”