Swimmer who vanished at California beach was wearing a shark deterrent.

A swimmer who went missing near Lovers Point was found dead about 25 miles away and was wearing a wearable shark deterrent; the death is under investigation and is reported as suspected to have involved a shark.

Erica Fox, a member of an open-water swim group in Monterey County, was found dead on Dec. 21, 2025 after going missing near Lovers Point. She had been wearing a wearable shark-deterrent device at the time she was last seen. The case is under investigation and has been reported as suspected to involve a shark. The swim group began using such devices after a 2022 attack injured a member. Known details: - Officials say the death is under investigation and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office could not confirm whether an autopsy had been performed or whether a shark bite occurred. - Fox's body was discovered along the Davenport shoreline about 25 miles from where she was last seen; witnesses reported seeing a shark breach near Lovers Point that morning. - The investigation is ongoing and any next procedural steps were not specified, so the status of formal actions is undetermined at this time. Summary: The incident has prompted renewed attention to wearable shark-deterrent devices and to questions about their limitations. The investigation into the circumstances of the death is ongoing and further procedural updates were not provided.