Shark Breaches With Human Body In Mouth As Woman Vanishes Off NorCal Beach: Report

PACIFICA GROVE, CA — A person reported seeing a shark breach the surface with a human body clutched in its jaws off the coast of Pacific Grove on Sunday, according to US Coast Guard officials and media reports.

Two people in Monterey County reported seeing a possible shark before a swimmer went missing, authorities said. The swimmer, a 55-year-old woman, was with a swimming group at the time, but she hasn't been seen since.

Monterey County officials said two witnesses reported the swimmer may have encountered a shark while swimming offshore near Lovers Point. A witness reported a large splash, causing the woman's swimming group to return to shore, where they discovered she was missing, police said.

The person who reported seeing the shark claimed it breached the surface, apparently holding a human body in its mouth, US Coast Guard officials told SFGate. Following the sighting, the shark submerged and did not reappear.

The Coast Guard confirmed that there was a reported sighting in the area, but could cannot correlate this sighting with the missing person, stating there is no confirming evidence of that.

A water rescue operation was launched just after noon for the missing woman seen swimming near Lovers Point.

Due to an "unconfirmed shark incident," the city of Pacific Grove closed all beaches within a mile of Lovers Point on Sunday. This followed the unconfirmed reports of a shark sighting and attack that reportedly led to a woman's disappearance, the city announced on social media.

The response included the Pacific Grove Police Department, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Monterey Fire Department, the Monterey County Sheriff's Office, and California State Parks, utilizing boats, drones and a helicopter in the effort.

The Coast Guard confirmed that the search operation, which includes a small boat crew from Station Monterey and multiple helicopter air crews from Air Station San Francisco, will continue through the evening. However, the search was paused overnight and resumed Monday morning.

The county has announced that Lovers Point Beach in Pacific Grove, along with McAbee and San Carlos Beaches in Monterey, will remain closed through Tuesday as a precaution. Furthermore, a beach advisory will continue to be in effect through Tuesday for Asilomar State Beach, Monterey Municipal Beach, Del Monte Beach, and Monterey State Beach.

Read the full story at SFGate.