Authorities have released fuller autopsy findings on Erica Fox, showing how the veteran triathlete died during an ocean swim in Pacific Grove, California, according to The Inertia.
The findings offer a clearer picture of the December attack at Lover's Point, a tragedy that rattled the local open-water swimming community.
What happened?
During a regular Kelp Krawlers swim, Fox disappeared in the water; she had helped found the Monterey Bay open-water group.
People nearby reported a violent splash, and one witness said a shark burst from the water, appearing to have a human body in its mouth.
Officials ended the search after a day without finding her. Her body was recovered on a remote pocket beach with a shark band still secured around her ankle.
In January, the Santa Cruz County sheriff's office said the coroner had ruled the death an accident and identified the cause as "sharp and blunt force injuries and submersion in water due to a shark attack."
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According to The Inertia, the autopsy said Fox suffered a fatal wound that wrapped around her right knee, thighs, and abdomen.
The report also said her wetsuit and swimsuit were torn in corresponding areas, and that the bite fractured her pelvis and severed a major artery in her midsection.
Why does it matter?
Fox was not a casual visitor to the area. She was an experienced athlete and a familiar presence in local open-water swimming circles.
CSU Long Beach Shark Lab director Chris Lowe said, "The only explanation we can come up with in cases like this is that the shark made a mistake. It mistook a person for a seal or a sea lion."
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Shark encounters are often framed as random attacks, but experts have long said many happen when humans and wildlife overlap in the same spaces.
As BBC Future has reported, wild-animal attacks can be partly shaped by human activity, including how people expand recreation into animal habitat and alter ecosystems in ways that change animal behavior and movement.
What's being done?
Researchers, lifeguards, and local officials already use shark monitoring, beach advisories, and wildlife observations to reduce risk.
While those tools do not eliminate danger, they can help swimmers, surfers, and paddlers make more informed decisions before entering the water.
Common safety guidance includes swimming in groups, paying attention to official warnings, avoiding areas with visible bait fish or heavy seal and sea lion activity, and choosing beaches with lifeguard oversight when possible.
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