Search For Missing WA Snorkeler In Hawaii Ends After Shark Spotted

The search for a Washington State woman who disappeared while snorkeling in Hawaii was called off on Friday after officials failed to find her and witnesses reported a large shark was spotted nearby, Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources said.

According to the 60-year-old woman's husband and other witnesses, just before noon on Thursday, a large shark was spotted about 50 yards offshore at Keawakapu Point in south Maui.

The woman’s husband said that while the pair were snorkeling, he saw a shark swim by and suddenly his wife was nowhere in sight. He reported that the shark swam by several times before he returned to shore and reported his wife missing.

The department said that teams from the Maui Fire Department, Maui Ocean Safety, and the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) were sent to search for the missing woman, to no avail.

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, according to the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

At 2 p.m. on Friday, DOCARE officers spotted a large 10 to 12 foot long shark, believed to be a tiger shark, while searching for the woman. They later surveyed the area but could not find any evidence that the shark was still nearby, so shark warning signs were removed and the search for the woman was called off.

"DLNR, Maui County, and other agencies and individuals involved in the search extend their condolences to the family and friends of the missing woman," Department of Land and Natural Resources said, adding that protocol states that the names of shark victims are not released.