Woman Goes Missing After Reportedly Suffering Shark Bite While Snorkeling With Husband

A female snorkeler went missing off Kihei in Hawaii's South Maui Coast after apparently suffering a shark bite Thursday.

The woman's husband, who was snorkeling with her, told the authorities they had encountered a shark during their underwater adventure. They reportedly fought off the predatory sea creature, and tried to make their way to the shore, Hawaii News Now reported.

The man reached the shore first, and realized his wife was nowhere to be found. A snorkel set and part of a bathing suit were found, following which the man called 911 and reported the incident, Coast Guard public affairs specialist Ryan Fisher said. Details about the couple were not revealed.

The first responders arrived at Keawakapu Point just before noon. Witnesses told the officials the incident happened about 50 yards from the shore.

The Coast Guard, county's first responders, and state's Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) officers conducted a search for the woman in the water and by air, including with a helicopter and a C-130 Hercules, a four-engine military transport aircraft designed and used for extreme airlift missions. The search also included personnel with the Maui Fire Department and Ocean Safety Division, Star Advertiser reported.

The area of the beach was cordoned off, and shark warnings were put up. There were no other reports about sharks in the water, following the woman's disappearance. Dan Dennison, senior communications manager for the state DLNR said air and water crews will continue looking for the woman at daybreak on Friday.

The last recorded attack in Maui's waters occurred in September, when a snorkeler was bitten by an unknown shark species of Paia Bay. She lost her left arm, two fingers on her right hand, and puncture wounds to the torso, Star Advertiser reported.

In May, authorities shut down three beaches in Maui after a 51-year-old woman was bitten by a shark. The woman was swimming and snorkeling off the coast in Paia Bay in the later afternoon when she suffered a "serious" shark bite. The incident happened 100 feet from the shore, and the woman had failed to notice the creature as the water "appeared to be murky with low visibility." She was administered first aid after being brought ashore before paramedics arrived and rushed her to the hospital.