Tragedy struck just before the holiday season when a triathlete lost her life in a shark attack off the coast of California, casting a shadow over the festive period.
Erica Fox’s body was discovered on Saturday, south of Davenport Beach in Santa Cruz. The heartbreaking news was delivered to her husband by local police, according to The Mercury News.
Fox went missing on December 21 while swimming near Lovers Point in Pacific Grove, only to be found approximately 25 miles away from where she disappeared.
At 55, she was still wearing her black wetsuit, a white Garmin watch, and a ‘shark band’ on her ankle when her body was found. These items are symbolic of her passion for triathlons and her knowledge of ocean safety.
The Garmin watch is known for its sports tracking and fitness features, while the ‘shark band’ is an electromagnetic device designed to deter sharks, which rely on detecting electrical signals given off by their prey.
Sharks possess specialized sensory organs that allow them to hunt using the electrical cues emitted by moving creatures, a natural mechanism that the ‘shark band’ aims to disrupt to keep swimmers safer.
The bands use powerful magnets to disrupt this sensory system, creating an unpleasant sensation that signals danger and repels the creatures.
Fox has competed in two half-Ironman competitions and participated in an annual triathlon called Escape from Alcatraz for almost 20 years
Monterey County Sheriff’s Office posts photos of their search for Erica Fox in Pacific Grove, California
Shark Repellent Bracelet, ‘Sharkbanz 2,’ Fox was wearing this at the time of her disappearance
While they don’t eliminate the risk, the bands have been shown to partially prevent shark attacks, according to Effectiveness of Shark Deterrents in Reducing Depredation Events in a Recreational Line Fishery.
Fox disappeared while swimming with members of the recreational swim club she co-founded 20 years ago, the Kelp Krawlers.
Her husband of 30 years, Jean-Francois Vanreusel, was among the group.
After Kelp Krawlers member Steve Bruemmer nearly faced death from a great white attack in 2022, the group started wearing the same shark-repellent bands that Fox wore.
Despite this, most swimmers knew they offered little protection against a fast attack from under.
‘She didn’t want to live in fear,’ Vanreusel told Mercury News. ‘She lived her life fully.’
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office told the Daily Mail they are still waiting on an ID from their Coroner unit, and new details will be released thereafter.
At the time Fox vanished, U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Christopher Sappey confirmed that a shark had been spotted nearby.
‘The person who reported the shark sighting claimed they saw a shark breach the water with what appeared to be a human body in its mouth,’ Sappey told SFGate.
‘They then witnessed the shark submerge below the waterline without resurfacing.’
The club usually meets every Sunday, but trouble began when the 15-member group swam west around the point into Otter Cove.
Fox’s horrified husband of 30 years, Jean-Francois Vanreusel (seen in 2009), was among the group
Cal Fire personnel are seen preparing to retrieve Fox’s body on Saturday
Search teams scoured the water near where Fox went missing hoping to recover her body
One Kelp Krawler who returned to shore early noticed a shark about 100 yards from the point, according to The Mercury News.
Simultaneously, a driver stopped at a nearby stop sign alerted the U.S. Coast Guard that he had seen a shark breach the surface with what appeared to be a human body in its mouth.
He then claimed he saw the shark submerge below the waterline.
These horrifying reports prompted swimmers to hurry back to their starting point, but when they took a headcount, they realized that Fox was nowhere to be found.
‘It started to click that everybody was back on shore but Erica,’ member Sharon Care, told the outlet.
‘I just felt numb. I was hoping that maybe she got out of the water and then decided to walk back.’
First responders rushed to the scene, but were unsuccessful in their search.
The rope system Cal Fire firefighters used to recover Fox’s body
Fox disappeared from Lovers Point in Pacific Grove during a swim with the group
After about 15 hours of boats, helicopters and divers scouring the water, the operation was called off.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, along with independent search groups Bedrock Ocean Exploration and the Angel’s Recovery Dive Team, continued the probe even after it officially ended.
But on Saturday, Cal Fire’s San Mateo-Santa Cruz unit used a rope system to retrieve Fox’s body.
As an avid swimmer and adventurer, Fox was known to lead the pack of eager Kelp Krawlers.
Fox has competed in two half-Ironman competitions and participated in an annual triathlon called Escape from Alcatraz for almost 20 years, her father told NBC News.
