A 65-year-old woman has died after a shark attack off South Africa’s southeastern coast, prompting authorities to close two popular swimming beaches.
The incident happened on Tuesday morning, October 20, at Orient Beach in KuGompo City, formerly known as East London, in the Eastern Cape. Police said they were called to the scene around 7 a.m. local time where they found the body of the swimmer with severe injuries.
The victim has been identified as Janine Lochrenberg, a retired nuclear radiographer and musician, and a regular member of a local open-water swimming group. According to fellow swimmers, she was swimming with the group around 8 a.m. when she signalled distress.
Witnesses said Lochrenberg sustained deep bites to her right thigh and upper arm. Members of the group rushed to her aid and brought her ashore. A medic in the group attempted to resuscitate her, but she was declared dead at the scene. Police said an inquest has been opened into her death.
Fellow swimmer Mike Loewe, who spoke to state broadcaster SABC, described Lochrenberg as courageous and said she loved swimming, often solo. Her sister told the BBC that Lochrenberg had a deep affinity for the water and was aware of the elevated shark presence in the area but continued to swim.
Reports indicate that Lochrenberg was wearing a magnetic shark-repellent band on her ankle at the time of the attack. The device is designed to interfere with a shark’s electroreception, but witnesses said it did not prevent the attack.
The Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality confirmed the fatal attack in a statement and announced the closure of Orient Beach and nearby Eastern Beach until further notice. The municipality said the beaches will only reopen after safety assessments and urged the public to swim only in designated areas when lifeguards are on duty.
Authorities noted that fatal shark attacks remain rare in South Africa, although the country is known for great white sharks. The city’s last recorded fatal attack was in 1997.
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