Original story by The Mercury News
WAILUKU, Hawaii – A snorkeler whose shark-bitten body was recovered off the coast of Maui was likely dead before he was attacked by a shark, according to preliminary autopsy results Saturday.
A forensic pathologist did not conclude that the shark bites were the cause of death, the Maui News reported.
"There was no clear indication that he was alive at the time he was bitten," Dr. Anthony Manoukian said after the two-hour autopsy.
Anthony Moore, a 45-year-old from San Jose, Calif., went missing Thursday night after diving in South Maui waters at a place known as "Five Graves," a popular snorkeling site about a mile offshore that features underwater caves and a large population of sea turtles..
His wife identified a lanyard and keys found on the remains, said Coast Guard Petty Officer Michael De Nyse.
Kayakers and rescue workers did not see any sharks in the area during their search for Moore’s body.
Nearby Makena Beach on Maui was reopened Saturday afternoon after it had been closed by the Department of Land and Natural Resources a day earlier. Signs were posted Friday in the area warning beachgoers that a shark may be in the vicinity.
Moore was expected to return from his dive at 5 p.m. Thursday, and his wife reported him missing at 6:58 p.m.
Maui Kayaks tour guide Chris Corbat found body parts bobbing in the water at 8 a.m. on Friday, and he called for a dive boat to pick up the remains.
The last fatal shark attack in Hawaii waters occurred in 2004 off Maui.
