Grim details have emerged after a shark attack claimed a triathlete who vanished off the California coast just days before Christmas.
Erica Fox's lifeless body was found on Saturday south of Davenport Beach in Santa Cruz, her husband said, after he received a call from local police, per The Mercury News.
She went missing on December 21 while swimming near Lovers Point in Pacific Grove and was discovered about 25 miles away.
The 55-year-old was still clad in her black wetsuit, wearing a white Garmin watch and a 'shark band' wrapped on her ankle.
A Garmin is a versatile fitness watch focused on sports tracking and fitness monitoring, while a 'shark band' is an electromagnetic device that goes around the wrist or ankle that helps to keep the oceanic predators at bay.
Sharks hunt using special sensory organs that detect the electrical signals given off by moving animals.
The bands use powerful magnets to disrupt this sensory system, creating an unpleasant sensation that signals danger and repels the creatures.
Fox has competed in two half-Ironman competitions and participated in an annual triathlon called Escape from Alcatraz for almost 20 years.
While they don't eliminate the risk, the bands have been shown to partially prevent shark attacks, according to Effectiveness of Shark Deterrents in Reducing Depredation Events in a Recreational Line Fishery.
Fox disappeared while swimming with members of the recreational swim club she co-founded 20 years ago, the Kelp Krawlers.
What is a 'Shark Band?'
A Shark Band is an electromagnetic device worn on the wrist or ankle to keep sharks at bay.
Sharks hunt by sensing the tiny electrical signals from moving animals, and the band's powerful magnets overwhelm this system, sending an unpleasant warning that drives them away.
While they aren't 100 percent effective in preventing shark bites, studies show they partially eliminate the risk.
Her husband of 30 years, Jean-Francois Vanreusel, was among the group.
After Kelp Krawlers member Steve Bruemmer nearly faced death from a great white attack in 2022, the group started wearing the same shark-repellent bands that Fox wore.
Despite this, most swimmers knew they offered little protection against a fast attack from under.
'She didn't want to live in fear,' Vanreusel told Mercury News. 'She lived her life fully.'
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office told the Daily Mail they are still waiting on an ID from their Coroner unit, and new details will be released thereafter.
At the time Fox vanished, U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Christopher Sappey confirmed that a shark had been spotted nearby.
'The person who reported the shark sighting claimed they saw a shark breach the water with what appeared to be a human body in its mouth,' Sappey told SFGate.
'They then witnessed the shark submerge below the waterline without resurfacing.'
The club usually meets every Sunday, but trouble began when the 15-member group swam west around the point into Otter Cove.
One Kelp Krawler who returned to shore early noticed a shark about 100 yards from the point, according to The Mercury News.
Simultaneously, a driver stopped at a nearby stop sign alerted the U.S. Coast Guard that he had seen a shark breach the surface with what appeared to be a human body in its mouth.
He then claimed he saw the shark submerge below the waterline.
These horrifying reports prompted swimmers to hurry back to their starting point, but when they took a headcount, they realized that Fox was nowhere to be found.
'It started to click that everybody was back on shore but Erica,' member Sharon Care, told the outlet.
'I just felt numb. I was hoping that maybe she got out of the water and then decided to walk back.'
First responders rushed to the scene, but were unsuccessful in their search.
After about 15 hours of boats, helicopters and divers scouring the water, the operation was called off.
The Monterey County Sheriff's Office, along with independent search groups Bedrock Ocean Exploration and the Angel's Recovery Dive Team, continued the probe even after it officially ended.
But on Saturday, Cal Fire's San Mateo-Santa Cruz unit used a rope system to retrieve Fox's body.
As an avid swimmer and adventurer, Fox was known to lead the pack of eager Kelp Krawlers.
Fox has competed in two half-Ironman competitions and participated in an annual triathlon called Escape from Alcatraz for almost 20 years, her father told NBC News.