Officials have concluded that the woman who disappeared while snorkeling with her husband in Hawaii earlier this month was killed in a shark attack.
The Spokesman-Review published an article describing Kristine Allen, a massage therapist and life coach from Bellingham, Wash. She disappeared on Dec. 8 in Maui around the same time a large shark was spotted, according to Blake Allen, her husband.
During her trip, Kristine wrote on Facebook that she was “following dreams” by learning how to surf.
She noted that the experience allowed her to “deepen” her understanding of surfing metaphors she’d used for years. “Our dreams give us the motivation to keep getting back up to catch the next one even if we got tumbled,” she shared in her post.
As she continued sharing, she posted, “Thank you Kainalu from Maui Surf and SUP! You are the best! We loved our lesson and the joy of riding [the waves].”
In social media posts, Kristine’s colleagues described her as a “bright light” and a “true friend” in honor of her memory.
The findings of a collaborative investigation into her disappearance were released last week.
The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) reported a shark attack on Keawakepu Beach on Dec. 8.
According to the department, officers interviewed the missing woman’s husband who claimed he encountered an aggressive shark shortly after entering the water to snorkel about 50 yards offshore.
Officials said the man searched for his wife after the shark circled him and left his vicinity.
When the shark returned, the man told investigators, “he could see something red around the shark’s gills,” the DLNR reported. While he was in the water, people on the beach began screaming at him to get out because a shark was feeding in the area.
Eyewitnesses on the beach corroborated the husband’s account.
Hawaii News Now reports that the body of Allen has not been recovered, but part of her bathing suit and snorkel set were found.