A woman swimming off the coast of Monterey Bay over the weekend vanished after witnesses say she may have encountered a shark, authorities said.
The woman was swimming with a group on Sunday afternoon when “two witnesses indicated the swimmer may have encountered a shark while swimming offshore near Lovers Point,” the U.S. Coast Guard and cities of Pacific Grove and Monterey said in a joint media statement. “By 8:00 p.m., the swimmer was still not sighted.”
The woman was swimming with a group when a witness reported seeing a “large splash” that prompted the group to all come to shore, Pacific Grove Police Commander Brian Anderson told SFGate.
Once they were on shore the group realized that the missing woman, who is 55, was no longer with them.
“The person who reported the shark sighting claimed they saw a shark breach the water with what appeared to be a human body in its mouth,” Anderson told SFGate. “They then witnessed the shark submerge below the waterline without resurfacing.”
Anderson said he can confirm reports of a shark sighting in the area but there is no evidence the missing swimmer was attacked by a shark, SFGate reported.
The Times reached out to the Pacific Grove Police Department but the agency directed all questions to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Members of the Pacific Grove Police Department, Monterey County Fire Department, U.S. Coast Guard, Monterey County Sheriff’s Office and California State Parks have all been searching for the missing swimmer.
The Coast Guard sent out a helicopter from Air Station San Francisco as well as a small boat from its Monterey station to search for the swimmer Monday, said Chris Sappey, a U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson.
The family of the swimmer has been notified of the situation, authorities said.
Authorities have issued advisories for Monterey County beaches due to safety concerns; Lovers Point, MacAbee and San Carlos beaches are also closed.
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