Posted on 08/01/2026 3:18:10 PM PDT by BenLurkin
A California triathlete whose body washed ashore a week after she vanished during a group ocean swim off the Monterey coast was killed in a gruesome shark attack, according to a newly released report.
Erica Fox, 55, disappeared in December 2025 while swimming with 14 others in the frigid waters off Monterey.
A week later, her body was discovered about 25 miles away near Davenport Beach in Santa Cruz County, still partially dressed in her black wetsuit, the report said.
Chris Lowe, a professor of marine biology with the Shark Lab at California State University Long Beach, said he suspects the shark thought Fox was a seal or sea lion.
“The only explanation we can come up with in cases like this is that the shark made a mistake,” Lowe said. “It mistook a person for a seal or a sea lion.”
...
The autopsy appears to confirm witness reports at the time of seeing a shark with a human body in its jaws before it submerged.
Fox was participating in a weekly swim with a club she co-founded with her husband Jean-Francis Vanreusel — called the Kelp Krawlers in Pacific Grove — when the group feared a “large splash” was an attacking shark, KSBW reported.
While the other swimmers all made it back to shore, Fox remained missing.
...
A post Fox once shared on social media showed a picture of a diver swimming alongside a great white shark.
“This is the most DANGEROUS ANIMAL in the world, and by his side, a SHARK swims peacefully,” the post was captioned.
...
Fox’s death is now the third shark attack at Lover’s Point since June 2022, when fellow Kelp Krawler member, Steve Bruemmer, then 62, was bitten on the leg and only survived after he was rescued by nearby paddleboarders...
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Zackly.
Sharks are likely a lot smarter than this dude knows... When it comes to eating variety is the spice of life and just maybe, this shark knew exactly what he was eating. We may look like seals in the water, but I doubt that we taste like seals.
Said perpetrator has yet to issue a public apology for the mistake......
Yeah, but they got great lawyers.
I actually agree with Professor Lowe. The group of swimmers were wearing wetsuits, some probably used fins, and they were moving as a herd along the surface - just like a group of sea lions or seals would move since they are air-breathing mammals. The great white and also orcas swim around down below undetected, gain speed, then rocket vertically with their jaws open and grab whichever individual it makes contact with. Then (similar to alligators) the shark takes the mammal under to drown it. Shark got a mouthful of wetsuit on a skinny, bony woman and never got his breakfast, and she lost her life.
Experts say Do Not Swim Alone, but I am not so sure that applies to Great White adults; the group looked attractive to the shark not the individual IMO.
“A post Fox once shared on social media showed a picture of a diver swimming alongside a great white shark.
“This is the most DANGEROUS ANIMAL in the world, and by his side, a SHARK swims peacefully,” the post was captioned”
There’s irony for ya. RIP. Sharks aren’t peaceful or warlike, they’re sharks.
“With her dark wetsuit on, the shark probably thought she was a seal.”
Probably. And it probably spit her out for lack of fat.
Some of the most Great White shark infested waters in the world, in fact Monterey is one of their prime hunting grounds. But sure, let’s form a swim club. Talk about asking for it.
"Candygram!"
I lived there when I was a student at the Presidio. I never went into the water for that very reason: Monterrey Bay is a shark hunting ground.
I think mud sharks are the worst ...
Me too. But I never went into the water because it was too damn cold.
During in processing a guy from NSA gave us a briefing. Said study our asses off all week, get drunk as a skunk on Friday night, Saturday, then layout on the beach and dry out on Sunday,.
I tried to follow that religiously :)
The shark thought it was Nolan Wells. They've been gunning for him.
A post Fox once shared on social media showed a picture of a diver swimming alongside a great white shark.
“This is the most DANGEROUS ANIMAL in the world, and by his side, a SHARK swims peacefully,” the post was captioned.
The irony.
Well..it is shark 🦈 week Mom Discovery.
Good beginning for a movie. Oh, wait...
a.k.a Dem downward spiral! Quick! Change the focus!
Lotte Lenya played Rosa Klebb, the SPECTRE agent with the poison tipped blade in her shoe in “From Russia With Love”.
As Bond said, “She got her kicks.”
If you go for a ocean swim remember where you are in the food chain.
Perhaps she was ‘having her period’ - Sharks go crazy when there is blood in the water.
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