Erica Fox, a 55-year-old triathlete, is presumed dead after disappearing Sunday during a swim off the California coast and is feared to have been attacked by a shark.
Fox, described as an “exceptional swimmer” and founder of the Kelp Krawlers swim club, was participating in a group swim at Lovers Point in Pacific Grove around noon when a witness noticed a “large splash,” raising fears of a shark encounter, according to KSBW.
She had discussed the dangers of shark attacks in an interview with The Independent in 2022.
All 15 members of the swim group returned to shore safely except for Fox. Two witnesses suggested she may have encountered a shark while swimming offshore near Lovers Point.
The U.S. Coast Guard reported that one witness saw a shark breach the water with what appeared to be a person in its mouth before submerging, while a second witness later realized that Fox was missing.
Fox was last seen wearing a red swimsuit and a yellow swim cap.
A search covering more than 84 square nautical miles over 15 hours was eventually called off. Authorities have not confirmed a shark attack, and the investigation into her disappearance is ongoing.
“The Coast Guard extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones affected by this tragic incident,” Captain Jordan Baldueza, Coast Guard Sector San Francisco commander, said in a statement.
Erica’s father, James Fox, also reacted to her presumed death on Monday.
“I’m in shock, and I’m kind of numbed by all this, because it was just out of the blue. Erica was doing something yesterday that she really loved,” James Fox told NBC News.
Fox was a longtime fixture in the local swimming community, founding the informal Kelp Krawlers club more than 20 years ago. The club swims weekly at Lovers Point, the New York Post. reported
On social media, Fox often celebrated her athletic accomplishments, sharing posts of herself crossing triathlon finish lines and earning medals. In a striking post from 2013, she shared a photo of a diver swimming alongside a great white shark, captioned, “This is the most DANGEROUS ANIMAL in the world, and by his side, a SHARK swims peacefully.”
In an interview with The Independent in August 2022, Fox described herself as a “diehard ocean swimmer.”
She said that a recent shark attack in Pacific Grove hadn’t deterred her or other Kelp Krawlers members from swimming, though some used shark-repelling wristbands.
Fox reflected on the risks with a calm perspective.
“As soon as you dive in the water, you’re immediately in a foreign land. We are the ocean ecology’s humbled guests. I feel more vulnerable riding my bike than being in the water.”
