A 65-year-old woman has died following a shark attack at Orient Beach in KuGompo City, formerly East London, on South Africa’s southeastern coast, prompting authorities to close two beaches as a precaution.
The incident occurred on Tuesday morning, October 20, while the woman was swimming with a group of open-water swimmers. Eastern Cape police said officers were called to the scene at about 7 a.m. and found her body with open wounds. An inquest has been opened to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death.
Fellow swimmer Mike Loewe told South African public broadcaster SABC that members of the group responded after the woman signalled that she was in distress. They helped bring her ashore, where attempts to save her were unsuccessful and she was declared dead.
Witnesses reported severe injuries to her thigh and upper arm. Authorities had not immediately identified the shark species involved.
The victim was identified in subsequent local media reports as Janine Lochrenberg, a recently retired nuclear radiographer and musician who was an active member of the East London open-water swimming community. Fellow swimmers described her death as a devastating loss.
Following the attack, the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality closed Orient Beach and nearby Eastern Beach until further notice. Municipal officials urged residents and visitors to stay out of the affected waters, observe warning signs and follow instructions from lifeguards and other authorities.
The municipality said the duration of the closures would depend on safety assessments and advice from relevant authorities.
Fatal shark attacks remain uncommon in South Africa. Data from the International Shark Attack File recorded 29 unprovoked shark bites in the country between 2012 and 2021, six of which were fatal, according to the Associated Press.
Police investigations into the woman’s death are ongoing.
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