Additional Coverage:
Body Identified as Missing Triathlete Erica Fox After Apparent Shark Attack
A body discovered Saturday off California’s Central Coast has been confirmed as Erica Fox, a 55-year-old triathlete from Pebble Beach who vanished during a weekly swim in Monterey Bay last month. Her father, James Fox, confirmed the tragic news to NBC Bay Area.
Fox was reported missing on December 21st while swimming with fellow athletes. Authorities received reports from two witnesses who described seeing a shark in the water and what appeared to be an attack on one of the swimmers.
The body was recovered near Davenport in Santa Cruz County, approximately 30 miles north of where Fox went missing. Sergeant Ryan Farotte of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the location of the discovery. Several agencies collaborated to establish a hoist system on bluffs south of Davenport to retrieve the body from the beach below, according to posts from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection unit for San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties.
The initial search for Fox was suspended on December 22nd after 15 hours. The extensive effort involved aircraft, drones, boats, and divers from the Coast Guard, Pacific Grove police, the city of Monterey Fire Department, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, and Cal Fire.
Coast Guard spokesperson Christopher Sappey stated on December 22nd that one witness reported seeing a shark breach the water with what appeared to be a body in its jaws while driving to work. The shark then submerged and did not immediately resurface.
Shark attacks remain a rare occurrence in California. According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, there have been 230 attacks since 1950, resulting in 16 fatalities prior to Fox’s death.
Despite the significant growth in ocean activities like surfing since the mid-century, these figures have not seen a proportional increase. While the specific type of shark involved in this sighting is unknown, the Department of Fish and Wildlife notes that at least 200 of the state’s 230 attacks have involved white sharks, which are known to thrive in cold waters.
Authorities stated that Fox was part of a group of 17 individuals participating in a weekly Sunday swim across the bay when she disappeared off Lovers Point near the top of the Monterey Peninsula in Pacific Grove. Her fellow swimmers safely returned to shore following the incident.
James Fox described his daughter as kind, empathetic, and disciplined. He shared that Erica had competed in two half-Ironmans, numerous triathlons, and had participated in the annual “Escape From Alcatraz” triathlon for two decades.
“Swimming was her forte,” he said. “She just loved that.”
Erica and her husband had been together for 30 years.