Tragedy in California: Nearly a week after Erica Fox disappeared, firefighters found the California triathlete's body on a beach northwest of Santa Cruz . Authorities say she was mauled by a shark.
Fox, 55, was part of a group of swimmers training at Lovers Point near Monterey, California, on December 21, but never returned to shore . A witness quoted by the San Francisco Chronicle reported seeing a shark emerge from the water with what appeared to be a human body in its mouth.
A large-scale search and rescue operation had been underway for days, involving several Coast Guard crews along with rescuers from the local fire brigade and police.
The tragic discovery was made on Saturday, and investigations are still ongoing.
Several shark species live off the California coast, but incidents are extremely rare. Before Fox's death, there had been 16 shark-related deaths in California over the past 75 years.
(Unioneonline/D)
