The search for a triathlete who disappeared off the coast of California after reports of a shark sighting was suspended on Monday, December 22, authorities said.

Erica Fox, 55, disappeared at Lovers Point in Pacific Grove, Monterey County, California, around noon On Sunday, December 21, the experienced ocean swimmer, co-founder of the Kelp Krawlers ocean swimming group more than 20 years ago, was swimming with a group of 15 swimmers. She was swimming back to Lovers Point beach. Her father, James Fox, told NBC News that she and her friends were swimming toward a buoy in Monterey Bay. Around the same time Erica was in the water, two witnesses on the shore reported seeing a shark in the same area. One witness told police that he saw water splashes as the woman disappeared about 90 meters from Lovers Point, according to CBS San Francisco. One person reported seeing a “large splash,” according to SFGATE. Pacific Grove Police Department Commander Brian Anderson told CBS San Francisco that all swimmers had been alerted to return to shore, adding, “One swimmer has not yet reported in.” When the group returned to shore, they realized Erica was missing. US Coast Guard Petty Officer Christopher Sappey told SFGate that the witness to the shark sighting “claimed to have seen a shark surface with what appeared to be a human body in its mouth.” “They then witnessed the shark dive and did not resurface,” Sappey added. “We cannot necessarily correlate this sighting with the missing person, as there is no evidence to confirm it.” Around 7 pm local time on Monday, December 22, the Pacific Grove Police Department confirmed that the coordinated search, which covered more than 84 square nautical miles and lasted more than 15 hours, was suspended. The search efforts included the Monterey, San Francisco, and US Coast Guard Auxiliary stations, the Pacific Grove Police Department, the Monterey County Sheriff's Office dive team, and the Monterey Fire Department. “Detectives will continue to investigate the circumstances of the disappearance,” Commander Anderson said in a statement. “We remain committed to determining what happened and following up on all available leads.” “The Coast Guard extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones affected by this tragic incident,” said Captain Jordan Bladueza, Coast Guard Sector San Francisco. Monterey Fire Chief Andrew Miller expressed his deepest condolences to Erica's family and loved ones, adding, “This is a deeply felt tragedy for our community. “We thank all the agencies and first responders who joined the search and provided support during this incident.” Lovers Point Beach in Pacific Grove and McAbee and San Carlos beaches in Monterey will remain closed until Tuesday, December 23. Erica's father told NBC News he is in shock, adding, "I'm a little stunned by all of this, because it was unexpected."