By Hawaii 24/7 Staff

Fire/rescue responded to a 10:53 a.m. alarm Sunday (April 7) to the shoreline at the bottom of Lokahi Road in North Kohala for a body seen floating in the ocean by hikers.

Rescue crews arrived to find a body floating face-down about 30 yards offshore a steep cliff northwest of Hanaula Gulch. The Fire Department’s Chopper One arrived and saw what appeared to be a large Tiger Shark circling the body. A Billy Pugh rescue net was lowered in an attempt to capture the body but was unsuccessful in doing so. A Fire Rescue Specialist was ready to be lowered in the Billy Pugh net to retrieve the body but witnesses reported that a shark took the body underwater and rescue crews could no longer find the victim.

An aerial search continued for the victim without success. Police recovered a backpack and other items believed to be owned by the victim on the cliff area and were in the process of contacting relatives of the victim.

The last Fire Department units were back at their station at about 3:08 p.m. after the day’s search.