An unidentified woman celebrating a bank holiday weekend in South Africa was attacked and killed by a shark while wading in shallow at 8 a.m. on Sept. 25.
According to the UK’s Daily Mail, an eyewitness told rescuers, “It was a bit cloudy but there was some sun out and there were quite a few people taking an early dip as the temperature was quite warm. Then I just heard lots of screaming and saw people running out the water. I guessed it was a shark attack, but I was quite a way away and then the lifeboat turned up.”
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) was called as panicked swimmers left the beach at Central Beach, Plettenberg Bay, South Africa. An NSRI rescue boat found the blood-soaked woman’s body less than 20 yards from shore.
The woman has not yet been identified, waiting until relatives have been notified. She’s believed to be from Cape Town, located about 300 miles west of Central Beach.
Authorities from the Bitou Municipality shut down area beaches, posting signs to caution people to stay out of the water due to the danger from sharks.
“Police have taken the body into their care together with government health forensic pathology services and have opened an inquest,” NSRI said in a statement. “The NSRI and the Bitou Municipality appeal to the public to be cautious along the Plettenberg Bay and Southern Cape coastline.”
NSRI said that there’s been a decided uptick in shark numbers around the area’s beaches. Adding that’s unusual compared to other seasons there.
In June 2022, however, strong swimmer and snorkeler Bruce Wolov was killed by a white shark near a beach in the same region. In 2011, surfer Tim Van Heerden also was killed by a shark in that area.
Since records have been made starting in 1905, nearly 250 shark attacks have been recorded along South Africa’s shores.
