A fisherman is missing after being pulled into the water by a great white shark off the coast of Australia Sunday, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

The man was taking part in a fishing competition about 50 kilometers off the coast of Newcastle when the shark grabbed his fishing line and pulled him overboard.

Authorities launched a large-scale search and rescue operation that included helicopters, Water Police, Marine Rescue, and fishing boats. 20 private vessels are also participating in the search.

The search will be paused at sundown and resume on Monday morning.

Great white sharks are the largest predatory fish in the world, growing up to 20 feet long and can weigh well over a metric tonne, and are considered apex predators. They are responsible for the largest number of fatal attacks on humans of any shark species.

While attacks on humans are rare and are usually cases of mistaken identity or test bites by curious sharks, the size and power of adult great whites make even non-predatory bites extremely dangerous.