Tragic new details have emerged about the death of 55-year-old triathlete and ocean swimmer Erica Fox — whose body was discovered days after she was killed by a shark off the California coast.
Authorities confirmed Fox’s remains were found near Davenport Beach in Santa Cruz, about 25 miles from where she vanished on December 21 while swimming off Lovers Point in Pacific Grove. Her husband, Jean-Francois Vanreusel, received the devastating call from local police.
Investigators identified her body through her black wetsuit, white Garmin fitness watch, and a shark-repellent ankle band she had been wearing when she disappeared.
A Swimmer Who Defied Fear
Fox wasn’t just any swimmer — she was a lifelong athlete who competed in multiple triathlons, including the Escape from Alcatraz race nearly every year for two decades. Friends say she lived for the ocean and refused to let fear of sharks keep her out of the water.
“She didn’t want to live in fear,” her husband told The Mercury News. “She lived her life fully.”
Fox co-founded a recreational swimming club called the Kelp Krawlers more than 20 years ago, known for their bold open-water swims along the Monterey Bay coast.
The Final Swim
On the morning she vanished, Fox was in the water with about 15 fellow Kelp Krawlers — including her husband. Witnesses later described seeing a massive shark breach the water with what appeared to be a human body in its mouth.
“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,” U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Christopher Sappey told SFGate. “They then witnessed the shark submerge below the waterline without resurfacing.”
Moments later, swimmers realized Erica hadn’t made it back to shore.
“I just felt numb,” recalled fellow swimmer Sharon Care. “We kept hoping she’d walked back, maybe exited the water somewhere else. But deep down, we knew.”
A Futile Search
Rescue crews launched an immediate, large-scale operation involving helicopters, boats, and divers. After 15 hours, the official search was suspended — but local teams and volunteer divers refused to give up.
Finally, Cal Fire’s San Mateo-Santa Cruz unit recovered her remains on Saturday using a rope system.
A Life Lived in Motion
Fox’s father told NBC News his daughter’s passion for endurance sports was unmatched. She’d finished two half-Ironman races and led the Kelp Krawlers with fearless enthusiasm.
Ironically, after a fellow swimmer survived a great white attack in 2022, the group began wearing “Sharkbanz” — magnetic bracelets designed to repel predators by disrupting their electrical sensors. While the devices reduce risk, they can’t prevent every attack.
“She believed in the ocean’s beauty,” Vanreusel said. “And she accepted its danger.”
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said they are still awaiting final confirmation from the coroner, but the evidence is clear: Erica Fox — athlete, leader, and ocean lover — died doing what she loved most.
Source: The Mercury News, SFGate, NBC News, Daily Mail
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