Hawaii authorities call off search for woman, 60, who vanished after likely TIGER SHARK attack during snorkeling
MAUI, HAWAII: Authorities on the Hawaiian island of Maui called off the search for a 60-year-old woman from Washington late Friday night after she went missing after a "potential" 10-12 foot long shark attacked her. She vanished while snorkeling with her husband 50 yards offshore at Keawakapu Point in South Maui on Thursday, December 8.
The US Coast Guard, first responders, and police from the Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement were dispatched to the location at approximately 1 pm. Her husband and several witnesses had spotted a "massive" shark before noon on Thursday. The active search off the coast of South Maui was discontinued after 17 searches over the course of 40 hours covering a 306-mile radius. The victim and her husband haven't been named due to shark incident protocols.
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The circumstances surrounding the alleged attack are unknown, but the husband, who has not been identified, told investigators that he and his wife were snorkeling about 50 yards offshore when he observed a shark swim past repeatedly, FOX reported. "The shark swam by several times before the man returned to shore and reported his wife missing," the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) said in a statement Friday.
"The search for a missing 60-year-old Washington State woman was called off at noon today, after teams from the Maui Fire Dept, Maui Ocean Safety, and the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) failed to find her", Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) stated. They added, "First responders used personal watercraft, a rescue boat, a helicopter, and a U.S. Coast Guard aircraft to search the area, beginning shortly after the initial 911 call. They continued their efforts until nightfall on Thursday and then resumed their search at daybreak this morning."
The officers believed the shark was a Tiger Shark about 10-12-foot-long and was later spotted in the area after the attack. "DOCARE officers remained on scene until 2 p.m. after a large shark, believed to be a Tiger shark, was spotted in the area. A subsequent survey of the area did not provide any evidence that the 10-12-foot-long shark was still in the area, so shark warning signs have now been removed," DNLR said further.