Body of triathlete apparently killed by shark found on California beach [View all]

[marmar]

(Guardian) California firefighters have found the body of a California triathlete on a beach north-west of Santa Cruz, almost a week after she went missing amid speculation that she was killed by a shark.

The remains of Erica Fox were found on Saturday, her father and husband confirmed to local news outlets. Fox, 55, was part of a group of more than a dozen swimmers who left from Lovers Point near Monterey, California, on 21 December, but she never returned to shore. A witness driving by the area reported to authorities that they saw a shark with what appeared to be a human body in its mouth emerge from the water, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The disappearance and reports of the shark drew widespread public attention and efforts from authorities to locate Fox. On Sunday, Fox’s husband, Jean-François Vanreusel, and other members of her swim club held a memorial walk along the Lovers Point coastline. Fox’s father, who confirmed the death to NBC Bay Area, described his daughter as an empathetic and kind person who loved to swim, and who had taken part in numerous triathlons including the annual Escape From Alcatraz challenge.

Authorities last week launched a large-scale search and rescue operation involving multiple US Coast Guard boat crews along with responders from local fire and police departments to look for Fox. The Coast Guard suspended its search last Monday for Fox after a 15-hour operation covering about 84 nautical miles. ..................(more)

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/29/california-triathlete-body-found-shark