The body of Erica Fox, a 55-year-old open ocean swimmer and triathlete, was recovered days after she went missing following a shark attack off the Northern California coast. Fox, co-founder of the Kelp Krawlers swimming club, was wearing an electromagnetic shark deterrent band at the time of the incident, which marks the second shark attack involving a club member.
Erica Fox, a 55-year-old open ocean swimmer from Pebble Beach and co-founder of the Kelp Krawlers club, was identified after her body was recovered Saturday, Dec. 23, from the ocean south of Davenport Beach. She had been missing since December 21, when she was attacked by a shark during a swim in Monterey Bay with her husband, Jean-Francois Vanreusel, and other club members. Her husband noted she lived her life fully and didn't want to live in fear, even wearing a 'shark band' — an electromagnetic device meant to ward off sharks — and her Garmin watch. While he didn't witness the attack, two people on shore did. Fox was a dedicated triathlete, having completed two Half Ironmans. This incident is the second shark attack fatality at Lovers Point in 73 years and the second attack on a Kelp Krawlers member; fellow swimmer Steve Bruemmer was severely injured by a great white in 2022. Bruemmer, who attended the vigil for Fox, shared that shark bites are not physically painful, hoping to offer comfort that Erica did not suffer. He also emphasized the lesson that 'tomorrow is not guaranteed.' Despite the use of deterrents like 'Sharkbanz' by many club members after Bruemmer's attack, swimmers acknowledged their limited effectiveness against high-speed attacks.
