The remains of a missing triathlete who was killed in a shark attack off the California coast have been recovered nearly a week after she disappeared while swimming near Santa Cruz, according to multiple reports and statements from her family, as reported by the New York Post.
The body of Erica Fox, 55, was found Saturday afternoon south of Davenport Beach, approximately 25 miles from where she was last seen, according to her husband, Jean-Francis Vanreusel.
Remains of missing triathlete found in Santa Cruz after shark spotted with human body in its mouth #news https://t.co/zllqWxmyeX
— Filtered News (@filterednews) December 29, 2025
Fox vanished on Dec. 21 while swimming off Lovers Point with her husband and members of a local open-water swimming group known as the Kelp Krawlers.
Vanreusel told the Mercury News that he was swimming roughly 100 yards behind his wife with 13 other swimmers when the attack occurred.
According to Vanreusel, a shark suddenly dragged Fox underwater. A U.S. Coast Guard official later confirmed that witnesses reported seeing a shark with a human body in its mouth before the animal submerged, a detail reported by ABC News.
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Fox’s body was recovered still wearing her black wetsuit, Vanreusel said. He also stated that she was found with a “shark band” on her ankle, an electromagnetic deterrent device designed to repel sharks.
Vanreusel spoke publicly during a solemn shoreline procession Sunday, marking what he described as Fox’s final mile-long swim. The event included dozens of members of the Kelp Krawlers, the open-water swimming group Fox helped co-found.
“She didn’t want to live in fear,” Vanreusel told the Mercury News. “She lived her life fully.”
According to the Mercury News, Fox’s death marks the second fatal shark attack at Lovers Point in 73 years. The previous fatality occurred in December 1952, when a 17-year-old boy was killed.
Fox’s death is also the second shark attack involving a Kelp Krawlers member in approximately three and a half years.
BREAKING: The body of Erica Fox, 55, has been found on a secluded Northern California beach after she vanished during an ocean swim amid reports of a shark attack.
Witnesses previously reported seeing a shark with a human body in its mouth near Santa Cruz.
Absolutely tragic. pic.twitter.com/ozxiA6Caby
— Steven Latham (@wienerdogwifi) December 29, 2025
In the earlier incident, swimmer Steve Bruemmer was bitten on the leg but survived after being rescued by nearby paddleboarders.
The attack and recovery have left the local swimming community grappling with uncertainty. Sharen Carey, who has been swimming with the group for more than a decade, questioned what comes next for the club.
“Will people get back in the ocean? Will they get back in the ocean, but not here?” Carey said. “I don’t think anyone knows at the moment, because I think we’re all just still in shock, disbelief and grief, not knowing what we need to do next, except to love and support each other.”
Authorities have not released additional details regarding the species of shark involved or whether further safety measures will be implemented in the area.
The incident remains under review as officials continue to document the circumstances surrounding the fatal attack.
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