On Saturday, Erica Fox’s body was recovered along Davenport Beach, just south of Santa Cruz. She was a nine-time Ironman finisher and oftentimes training for those races had been missing. While her disappearance sparked fears in the tight-knit community, her family members, who identified her to NBC Bay Area, had been mourning her tragic death ever since.
The recovery of her remains took place around 2:00 PM, prompting an immediate investigation by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, which is collaborating with the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office and the Pacific Grove Police Department. They pointed out the recovery’s striking distance to the most recent shark attack in Monterey County.
Fox’s husband, Jean-François Vanreusel, spearheaded a memorial walk along the Lovers Point coastline to express her legacy. Loved ones depicted Erica as someone who cared deeply for her friends and family—or the world, really—and her happiest times were while swimming. She was a gifted athlete who raced in many triathlons, including the prestigious Escape From Alcatraz triathlon challenge.
For more than 20 years, Erica swam every Sunday at Lovers Point in Pacific Grove with her friend. Her bond with the Pacific Ocean ran deep. She swam thousands of miles in its waters. Those fortunate enough to know her personally describe an indescribable intimacy that she shares with the ocean. The deeper her bond became through the immeasurable experiences of riding its waves.
“She developed a deeply intimate relationship with the Pacific Ocean not by studying it or by looking at it, but by getting into it—again and again and again, on choppy days and gloriously calm days, logging what I can only guess are thousands of miles,” – Rubin.
As any swimmer in waters frequented by great whites should be, Erica was very aware of the risks associated with her environment. Witnesses reported that a great white shark was circling the swimmer and that it had a human body in its mouth. This shocking sight raised serious questions about what might have led to her untimely death.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is still actively investigating the incident. A representative from the office stated, “Today, at approximately 2:00 PM, a body was recovered from the ocean south of Davenport Beach. Due to the close proximity to the recent shark attack victim in Monterey County, our agency is working closely with the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office and the Pacific Grove Police Department regarding the recovery.”
Erica was known for her competitive athletic spirit and her profound joy for the ocean. Now, friends and family are stuck figuring out how to move forward with their grief while trying to get answers about this terrible crash.