health
Single shark bite led to death of woman off California coast, autopsy shows
Erica Fox left Lovers Point near Monterey in December alongside group of swimmers but never made it back
TL;DR
- Autopsy report confirms a single shark bite was fatal for swimmer Erica Fox, 55.
- The shark bite broke Fox's pelvis and severed a major artery, leading to her death.
- Fox disappeared on December 21st near Monterey, California, while swimming with a group.
- Her remains were found on a beach on December 27th.
- The autopsy classified the cause of death as 'sharp and blunt force injuries and submersion in water due to a shark attack'.
- Fox was a co-founder of the Kelp Krawlers open-water swimming club and a triathlete.
- She was among 12 people worldwide who died from shark bites in 2025, and the only one in the US.
- The number of unprovoked shark attacks resulting in death or bites globally increased in 2025, though statistically, the chances remain low.