A snorkeler in Hawaii is missing after an apparent shark attack

A woman went missing off the coast of Hawaii after she was apparently attacked by a shark while snorkeling with her husband, authorities said.

First responders were called to Keawakapu Point on the island of Maui around noon on Dec. 8, according to the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources.

The woman's husband told authorities he fought off the shark and then headed to shore, NBC affiliate KHNL reported. He called 911 when he made it to shore and his wife did not, and said he saw a shark swim by repeatedly, DLNR officials said during a press conference.

KHNL reported a snorkel set and part of a bathing suit were found on the beach.

“I mean the scary thing about it, at this stage, is there is a person just totally missing,” Peter Gannon, a beachgoer visiting from Canada, told KHNL.

The Coast Guard, Maui Fire Department and officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement are searching for the woman in the water and by air. The woman has not been identified.

DLNR officials said there haven’t been any additional reports of sharks at the beach since the woman went missing.

Shark warning signs have been posted in the area and authorities have asked people to stay away from the beach.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com