Swimmer missing after possible shark attack in California, search ongoing

(MONTEREY, Calif) — A search is ongoing in California for a missing swimmer who may have been attacked by a shark, officials said.

The swimmer was reported missing just after noon on Sunday at Lovers Point in Pacific Grove in Monterey Bay, according to a joint statement from the Coast Guard and the cities of Pacific Grove and Monterey.

Two witnesses said the swimmer – who is a 55-year-old woman, according to ABC Fresno station KFSN – “may have encountered a shark,” the statement said. One person reported seeing a shark with a body in its mouth before it submerged, a Coast Guard official said.

Boats and helicopters were deployed for Sunday’s search, which lasted nearly eight hours, well past sunset, officials said. The search resumed on Monday morning.

The swimmer’s family has been notified, officials said.

Lovers Point Beach in Pacific Grove and McAbee Beach and San Carlos Beach in Monterey are closed through Tuesday, the officials said.

ABC News’ Tristan Maglunog and Amanda Morris contributed to this report.

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