Open-water swimmer Erica Fox, believed to have been the victim of a shark attack, was found dead days after she vanished on December 21.
Her body was discovered along the Davenport shoreline, about 25 miles from where she was last seen at Lovers Point, Monterey Bay. Fox, 55, was wearing a shark-deterrent band, an electromagnetic device meant to ward off sharks, on her ankle when her body was found, according to NBC News.
The incident marks the second shark encounter at Lovers Point in three years, following a non-fatal attack on swim club member Steve Bruemmer in June 2022. Despite the rarity of shark attacks, the Kelp Krawlers swim club, of which Fox was a member, has faced two such incidents in recent years. Fox’s husband, Jean-Francois Vanreusel, described her as someone who lived life fully and did not want to live in fear. He was swimming nearby when she disappeared beneath the water.
Fox was a competitive athlete, known for her participation in numerous triathlons, including the Escape From Alcatraz triathlon in San Francisco. Her death has deeply affected the close-knit community of swimmers and friends who gathered to honor her memory. Many are grappling with the decision of whether to continue swimming at Lovers Point.
Experts emphasize that shark attacks are exceedingly rare, but the recent incidents have shaken the community’s confidence. As the Kelp Krawlers reflect on the tragedy, they continue to support each other in their shared grief and uncertainty about returning to the ocean.
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