A former fashion executive was killed while swimming off the coast of Maine.
63-year-old Julie Dimperio Holowach was swimming with her daughter near Bailey Island on Monday when she was attacked and killed by a great white shark, according to the Coast Guard, which attempted to rescue her.
Tom Whyte, an office worker who witnessed the attack, said the moment was “very surreal” and described how Holowach’s daughter swam to the seashore before collapsing on the beach and screaming for help.
Holowach, who attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan, was the former president of Kipling North America, a handbag company. She was also a board member of Sea Bags, which sells sea-themed handbags.
The death of Holowach marks the first time in history that someone has died from a great white shark attack off the coast of Maine. Officials with the state said on Tuesday that they believe Holowach’s black wetsuit may have led the shark to think she was a seal.
“It’s the presence of seals that are really the drive here,” said Maine Marine Patrol Commissioner Patrick Keliher. “We are aware that there have been a few reports of seals in the area who have had bite marks.”
