California firefighters have recovered the body of triathlete Erica Fox on a beach north-west of Santa Cruz, nearly a week after she went missing in a suspected shark attack. Fox, 55, disappeared on 21 December while swimming with a group off Lovers Point near Monterey. A witness reported seeing a shark with a human body in its mouth, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Fox's father and husband confirmed the discovery on Saturday. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office said a body was recovered from the ocean south of Davenport Beach at around 2pm, and that it was working with the Monterey County Sheriff's Office and Pacific Grove Police Department due to the proximity to the recent shark attack. The Coast Guard had suspended its search on Monday after a 15-hour operation covering 84 nautical miles.
Fox, described by her father as empathetic and kind, was an experienced triathlete who had competed in events including the Escape From Alcatraz challenge. Fellow swimmer and editor Sara Rubin wrote in Monterey County Weekly that Fox found peace in the ocean and understood the risks of swimming with great white sharks. Rubin noted that Fox would object to calling the incident an attack, preferring to view it as an animal's natural behaviour.
Shark-related fatalities are rare in California, with only 16 recorded in the past 75 years prior to Fox's death. A memorial walk was held on Sunday along the Lovers Point coastline.
