A woman who was killed in a shark attack was 'following dreams' while visiting Hawaii

• A woman who disappeared off the coast of Hawaii was killed by a shark, officials said.
• Kristine Allen, 60, was following her dreams by learning to surf in Hawaii, she said on Facebook.

A 60-year-old woman who vanished off the coast of Hawaii while snorkeling was likely killed by a shark, officials said.

Kristine Allen, from Bellingham, Washington, was visiting Maui with her husband and "following dreams" by learning to surf, she said in her final Facebook post before her disappearance.

She vanished on December 8 while snorkeling near Keawakapu Point in south Maui, near where a large shark had been spotted, her husband Blake Allen told The Bellingham Herald.

The US Coast Guard and other rescue teams unsuccessfully searched for the woman for 40 hours, CBS News reported.

A Department of Land and Natural Resources spokesman classified the incident as a "possible shark-human encounter" at a press conference on December 9, according to CBS.

After losing sight of his wife, Blake Allen swam back to shore to report her missing. While his wife's body has still not been found, a snorkel set and part of a bathing suit were discovered, according to Hawaii News Now.

The woman's husband and other witnesses reported what was thought to be a tiger shark about 50 yards from the shore, according to the outlet.

Blake Allen said a memorial would be held in the future for his wife, who was a massage therapist and life coach.