Woman missing in Maui following shark attack while snorkeling 

Hawaii officials are searching for a 60-year-old woman who is thought to have been attacked by a shark while snorkeling in Maui, authorities said on Thursday. 

A snorkeler called 911 just before noon local time claiming he and his wife were snorkeling about 75 yards off Keawakapu Beach when a shark began circling nearby. After fighting off the shark, Dan Dennison returned to shore. However, his wife was nowhere to be found, according to a spokesperson for the Department of Land and Natural Resources. 

While the woman didn’t make it back to shore, her snorkel set and part of her bathing suit were found, according to Hawaii News Now. 

The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed that it was "searching for a 60-year-old female snorkeler missing due to a possible shark attack" in a Tweet posted on Friday. 

Search and rescue teams are searching the waters for the missing woman with boats and personal water crafts. Meanwhile, a Maui Fire Department helicopter and the Coast Guard are conducting an aerial search. 

"I mean the scary thing about it, at this stage, is there is a person just totally missing," beachgoer Peter Gannon told Hawaii News Now.

Further information about the victim’s identity was not immediately available. 

Officials put up shark warning signs at Keawakapu Beach and sectioned off the popular area to beachgoers to prevent further shark attacks. So far, there haven't been any other reports of shark attacks in the nearby waters.