California swimmer goes missing after possible shark attack

A missing swimmer in California may have been the victim of a shark attack on Sunday.

According to a joint statement from the city of Pacific Grove, the city of Monterey and the U.S. Coast Guard, officials in the area were called to Lovers Point in Pacific Grove for reports of a missing swimmer just after noon on Sunday.

Two people who witnessed the event told officials that the missing person may have encountered a shark while swimming offshore, the statement said. The shark attack has not been confirmed, Coast Guard spokesperson Christopher Sappey told NBC News.

The first report of the potential shark attack came in from a person who was at a nearby stop sign while driving to work, Sappey said. That person reported seeing a shark breach the water with what appeared to be a human body in its mouth.

The shark then plunged beneath the waterline without resurfacing, the person reported, according to Sappey.

Sappey said that the missing swimmer — described as a 55-year-old woman with blonde hair and blue eyes — was swimming in a group of 17 people and was unaccounted for after the fact.

Officials said the rest of the group exited the water shortly after, suspecting there had been a shark attack in their group.

A search and rescue mission is underway for the swimmer. Rescuers had not located the woman by 8 p.m. Sunday, but the statement indicated the search — which includes crews by air and sea — will begin again Monday morning.

The swimmer's family has been notified of the situation, the statement said.

Lovers Point, in Pacific Grove, and McAbee and San Carlos Beaches in Monterey will be closed through Tuesday.

Lovers Point is a small beach in Monterey County and is a popular spot for swimming, boating, and other water activities. A swimmer survived an attack by a great white shark in the area in 2022.

Chris Lowe, head of the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach, said shark attacks remain a rarity.

"You're generally safe in the water anytime," Lowe told the "TODAY" show. "We just have to remember sharks are always out there. It's their home, and we're guests."

He cautioned to be careful when swimming around dawn and dusk.