Authorities in Hawaii have called off the search for a 60-year-old woman a day after she went missing while snorkeling in an area where a large shark had been sighted.
The unidentified woman was snorkeling with her husband at Keawakapu Point in south Maui and went missing just before noon Thursday.
According to the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, the husband and other witnesses saw the shark about 50 yards offshore. It was believed to be a tiger shark measuring 10 to 12 feet.
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“The woman’s husband reported while the couple was snorkeling he saw a shark swim by but could not see his wife,” the DLNR stated in a news release issued Friday. “The shark swam by several times before the man returned to shore and reported his wife missing.”
A vast multi-agency search ensued Thursday and into Friday, but officers failed to find evidence that a large shark was still in the area.
The couple had been visiting from Washington State. The DLNR stated that it does not disclose identities of individuals involved in shark encounters.
The news release concluded: “DLNR, Maui County, and other agencies and individuals involved in the search extend their condolences to the family and friends of the missing woman.”
–Generic image shows a Maui beach
