Woman, 63, 'killed by great white shark in Maine while swimming with daughter who screamed for help'

A NEW York woman was killed by a great white shark while swimming off the coast of Maine with her daughter is the first death from a shark attack in Maine's history.

Julie Dimperio Holowach, 63, was swimming off the shore of Bailey Island on Monday when a witness saw her dip under water with her arms flailing.

Holowach, the former president of accessories brand Kipling, was swimming with her daughter at the time and was wearing a wetsuit.

Experts believe the shark may have mistaken the New Yorker for a seal, the Daily Mail reported.

Holowach's daughter swam back to shore to get help and a pair of kayakers helped get her to shore however she was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to the New York Post, swimmers and boaters in the area are urged to use caution around Bailey Island.

A recovered tooth fragment confirmed a great white shark was responsible for the attack, according to Patrick Keliher of the Maine Department of Marine Resources.

Holowach's death is the first recorded fatal shark attack in the state of Maine.

There is only one other records report of an unprovoked shark attack that involved a scuba diver in 2010.

Officials have called the attack "highly unusal" and are not closing any beaches.

According to Maine Department of Marine Resources commissioner Patrick Keliher, Holowach and her family spend four to five months in Maine every summer.

"Julie and her husband were very respected individuals, and the community is really at a tough juncture now," said Major Rob Beale of the state Marine Patrol.

There have been no additional signings of the shark since the initial contact, Daily Mail reported.

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