Body found off California coast is triathlete believed killed in shark attack
- - Body found off California coast is triathlete believed killed in shark attack
Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY December 30, 2025 at 1:10 AM
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A body recovered off California's Central Coast has been identified as a local 55-year-old triathlete who was reported missing in a suspected shark attack.
Erica Fox's was recovered at around 2 p.m. local time on Dec. 27 from the ocean south of Davenport Beach, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Monday, Dec. 29. The discovery came after Fox, of nearby Monterey County, disappeared while swimming with more than a dozen people on Dec. 21.
Fox's father, James Fox, told KSBW-TV that his daughter was recovered on a "remote pocket beach" and was identified by the clothing she was wearing.
Fox's husband, Jean-Francois Vanreusel, told The Mercury News that Fox was still in her wetsuit and wearing a Garmin watch and a "shark band" − designed to deter attacks − that was attached to her ankle.
"She didn’t want to live in fear," Vanreusel told the newspaper. "She lived her life fully.”
More: Shark bites surfer in California, marks 3rd attack in state this year
Police believe 'shark was involved' in triathlete's disappearance
At around noon on Dec. 21, the Pacific Grove Police Department and Monterey Fire Department responded to a report of a missing swimmer who had been with swimming with more than a dozen people off Lovers Point, a city near Monterey about 115 miles south of San Francisco.
Two witnesses reported that the "swimmer may have encountered a shark while swimming offshore near Lovers Point," officials said. The Coast Guard later identified the missing swimmer as Fox.
Pacific Grove Police Cmdr. Brian Anderson confirmed to USA TODAY on Dec. 23 that investigators believe a "shark was involved."
Authorities launched a search-and-rescue operation, which was suspended after 15 hours after crews covered more than 84 square nautical miles, the Coast Guard said. Anderson said detectives will continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding Fox's death.
On Dec. 27, a body was found near Davenport in Santa Cruz County, about 30 miles north of where Fox went missing, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office.
In posts on social media, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection unit for San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties said firefighters assisted several agencies in a recovery operation on a beach south of Davenport. CalFire shared photos showing a rope system being used to recover the body.
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UPDATE: CAL FIRE CZU firefighters have recovered a body from the beach south of Davenport. Firefighters used a rope system to bring the body from the beach to the bluffs. We will soon be clearing the scene. @sccounty @SantaCruzSO1 @santacruz_fire @CAStateParks @CHPscrz pic.twitter.com/J6h6Is0kgF
— CAL FIRE CZU (@CALFIRECZU) December 27, 2025
Who was Erica Fox?
James Fox told NBC News his daughter was a triathlete from nearby Pebble Beach who swam with friends in Monterey Bay each weekend. He said his daughter participated in two half-Ironmans, multiple triathlons, and had for two decades' taken part in an annual triathlon called "Escape From Alcatraz," the outlet reported.
“I’m in shock, and I’m kind of numbed by all this, because it was just out of the blue,” her father told the outlet. “Erica was doing something ... that she really loved.”
He said his daughter, who had been married for 30 years, was "kind, empathetic and disciplined," according to NBC News.
Fox was the co-founder of the Kelp Krawlers, an open-water swim group, according to The Mercury News. KSBW-TV reported that the group swims at Lovers Point every Sunday and Erica Fox went missing during their weekly swim.
"The only comfort I find is that every Sunday, Erica was excited to go in the water," Vanreusel told The Mercury News.
He was swimming with Fox and 13 others when the shark was sighted and his wife disappeared under the water.
He told the paper: "She passed in the place she loved."
1 / 11Scientists have discovered more than 900 species of sharks and rays and related speciesShark researcher Gregory Skomal, right, with the state of Massachusetts, uses a camera to get underwater footage of a white shark during a research mission off Monomoy in 2023. At left is Brian Hanson, volunteer research assistant and member of the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy board of directors.How many people are attacked by sharks each year?
Marine biologists say shark encounters in California remain rare, reported the Desert Sun, part of the USA TODAY Network. Experts also stressed that while shark attacks make headlines, the risk remains extremely low compared to other ocean hazards.
“Great whites are not actively hunting humans—they’re following their food sources,” said Chris Lowe, director of the Shark Lab at California State University at Long Beach. “When seals and sea lions congregate near shore, sharks may come closer than usual.”
Lowe added that most shark bites are cases of mistaken identity.
“In murky water or low light, a shark might confuse a swimmer or surfer for a seal," Lowe said. "Once they realize the mistake, they often release the person and swim away.”
Since 1993, six human fatalities have been attributed to white sharks in California waters, according to state and international shark attack data. Nationwide, the International Shark Attack File reports an average of 65 documented shark attacks annually, with 47 unprovoked bites recorded globally in 2024.
Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY; Roseann Cattani and James Ward, USA TODAY Network
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Body recovered off California coast identified as missing triathlete
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